محمدحسن عصاره

This study was aimed to identify secondary metabolites produced by native Trichoderma harzianum isolates and investigate the effect of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of constituents extracted on seed germination and control of Alternaria blight disease. The phytochemical constituents of EtOAc extract of T. harzianum were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques. Also, the effects of foliar application, seed and soil treatments of EtOAc extract and its constituents: benzoic acid, palmitic acid and diisooctyl phthalate, on Alternaria blight disease index was investigated. All T. harzianum isolates were able to significantly reduce the mycelial growth of A. alternata by producing volatile and non-volatile metabolites. The major constituents of the EtOAc extract were 2-phenylethanol (14.36%), palmitic acid (12.07%), diisooctyl phthalate (11.23%), which have antifungal effects against A. alternata. The lowest values of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the EtOAc extract and its main constituents were in the range of 1,044-3,970 μg. mL-1. The MIC value of the benzoic acid (1,044 μg. mL-1) against A. alternata was lower than iprodione-carbendazim (1,391 μg. mL-1) and mancozeb (1,600 μg. mL-1). Combining benzoic acid with diisooctyl phthalate induced a synergistic activity against A. alternata and in combination with palmitic acid caused an additive effect. Seed treatment with EtOAc extract and/or benzoic acid significantly reduced the development of Alternaria blight disease of Cumin compared to foliar and soil applications. The seed treatment with EtOAc extract and palmitic acid significantly improves the seed germination by 11.34% and 9.57%, respectively. The findings provide new perspectives on the effect of the secondary metabolites produced by native T. harzianum isolates on the quality characteristics of seeds and the rate of soil-borne and seed-borne diseases progression caused by A. alternata.

It is essential to use corrective techniques in the cultivation of medicinal plants and to improve the quantity and quality of the essential oils and essence in them for the production of high-yielding plants. The influence factors in callus production and regeneration include genotype, growth regulators, culture medium, age and type of explants and environmental conditions. In this study, callus induction in seven plant species (Daucus carota, Dracocephalum kotschyi, Hyssopus officinalis, Galega officinalis, Amsonia tubemaemontana, Moringa oliefera, Urtica dioica) has been investigated in vitro, which were evaluated callus induction and organogenesis on the leafy specimen in MS and WPM medium with different concentrations of growth regulators. For this purpose, a factorial experiment was designed in a completely randomized design (CRD) and was investigated genotypic effects on callus induction and subsequent proliferation of the plant. The results showed that Daucus carota, Moringa oliefera and Hyssopus officinalis had a significant difference in callus induction with other species.

Alternaria leaf spot disease, with the common agent of Alternaria alternata, is one of the most important seed-borne diseases of coriander. The present study aimed to identify seed-borne fungi isolated from native coriander seed populations based on morphological and molecular characteristics. In addition, the efficiency and effectiveness of seed treatment with chemical fungicides on vigor and germination indices, as well as the control of seed-borne diseases were evaluated.

In order to identify the seed-borne fungi of coriander, seed populations from the fields in South Khorasan, Alborz, Markazi, Qazvin, and Hamedan provinces of Iran were sampled according to the International Rules for Seed Testing. After isolation and purification, fungal isolates were identified and confirmed based on morphological characteristics and species-specific primers. Furthermore, the level of pathogenicity and the aggressiveness of isolates were assessed by pathogenicity test on seedlings. The effectiveness of seed treatment with Iprodione-Carbendazim (Rovral-TS®) and Mancozeb (Dithane M-45®) fungicides on germination and vigor indices, as well as the rate of disease progression were investigated.

A total of eight isolates of Alternaria alternata were identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. The germination and vigor indices varied among seed populations and it seemed that a part of the observed differences was due to infection by seed-borne fungi. The results of the pathogenicity test showed that approximately 62.5% of the isolates were pathogenic and 37.5% were non-pathogenic. Diverse levels of pathogenicity and aggressiveness were observed for various isolates of A. alternata. Seed treatment with chemical fungicides had a significant influence on germination and vigor indices. Fungicides did not completely control the seed-borne Alternaria leaf spot disease of coriander.

The findings of the current research demonstrated that the effective inhibitory concentrations of chemical fungicides varied based on the pathogenicity of distinct isolates of A. alternata. Disinfection of seeds with Iprodione-Carbendazim fungicide caused a lower disease index of A. alternata on coriander seedlings, compared to Mancozeb. In conclusion, the cultivation of Nahavand seed population out of all the evaluated coriander populations and the disinfection of seeds with Iprodione-Carbendazim fungicide before sowing in all areas suitable for the cultivation of this product are recommended.

Small size of Satureja (Satureja hortensis L.) seed causes many problems in mechanized cultivation and its seed consumption is increased significantly.  The approach discussed in the present study is the seed coating of Satureja by several matters and selecting the suitable method as well as investigation of adding hormonal and nutritional substances to the selected coating material for better emergence and the elimination of problem arise as a result of coating.

Purified Satureja seeds (97%) were prepared and poured into the coating machine at a specified amount. First, 1% solution of benomyl fungicide was sprayed on the seeds. Then some coating powder was sprayed on the spinning wet seeds inside the machine. Then some of the adhesive solution was sprayed on it and again the coating powder was added and this was repeated several times to create a suitable form for the coated seeds. This was repeated using different materials and among these coatings powder, vermiculite and perlite provided better coating on Satureja seed. Then, different materials including gibberellin, BAP, cytokinin, thiourea (CH4N2S) and potassium nitrate (KNO3), phosphorus from H2PO4 source and manganese sulfate (MnSO4) were used to the emergence of the enlarged seeds and also, the emergence of these seeds were evaluated in the greenhouse.

Initial results showed that vermiculite and perlite provided better cover for Satureja compared with the other coating materials. Investigating the emergence of perlite-coated seeds in the greenhouse showed that gibberellin (all concentrations) and kinetin (500 mg/l) present in the seed coat improved the Satureja seed emergence under greenhouse condition. Also, it was found that Thiourea (700 and 7000 mg/l), potassium nitrate (7, 70, 700 mg/l), phosphorous (9 kg/100 kg seed) and manganese sulphate (2 and 4 mg/l) present in the coat significantly increased the Satureja seed emergence and led to improved seedling growth.

Perlite for the purpose of seed pelleting of Satureja showed good results and the use of gibberellin (at all concentrations) and quintine (500 mg/l) in the seed pelleting improved germination of pelleted Satureja seed. 

1- Technical knowledge of Satureja seed pelleting was obtained.2- The suitable material to improve the emergence of pelleted Satureja seed was introduced.

In order to evaluate the effect of plant density and nitrogen fertilizer on phonological, qualitative, photosynthesis capacity and yield components of guar native population, an experiment was carried out as split plot based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications in 2018 at Iranshahr, Iran. The main factor was four levels of plant density (25, 45, 60 and 85 plants/m2) and the sub factor, nitrogen fertilizer from the source of urea (0, 50, 100, 150 kg / ha). The results of variance analysis showed that the effect of plant density on all traits was significant, except carbohydrate, protein and gum at 1% level. Comparison of mean plant density showed that 25 and 85 plants / m2 had the highest and lowest number of branches, respectively. Treatments of 45 and 85 plants /m2 had the highest and lowest mean of seed yield and biological yield per hectare, respectively. The interaction of 100 kg N fertilizer and 60 plants/ m2 devoted the highest percentage of protein and interaction of 0 kg N fertilizer and 45 plants/m2 has minimum protein percent. Results showed that, in order to obtain high seed and gum yield product, density of 45 plants/m2 followed by 50 kg nitrogen/ha in Grembite landraces were recommended.

Improving vegetation cover in arid and semi-arid regions can be controlling desertification and the production of cellulosic materials by afforestation, in these circumstances, human survival and habitat, as well as wildlife, also provided too. For afforestation in arid and semi-arid regions, it is necessary to selection of appropriate species and pay attention to their ecological and eco adaptation needs. Drought resistance mechanisms include water use efficiency in many forest species for a stay of drought condition have been utilization. On the other hand, water requirements and the effects of drought stress on ecological adaptation are important for this plants. Through lysimetry experiments and determination of water requirement for many forest species including Saxual (Haloxylon aphyllum) and several species of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. microtheca E. sarjentii, E. leucoxyloni, E, saligna and E. flocktoniea), there were considered and adaptation mechanisms for survival in dry conditions were studied for them. Among the mentioned species, Saxual had the lowest water requirement and the most resistant species to drought stress. This species had a higher water use efficiency to drought stress.

Although jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is known as a medicinal plant and is less important than other fruit trees, it has received more attention in recent years due to its significance in traditional Iranian medicine. There is no study on the actual water need for jujube trees and the impact of irrigation on yield and water use efficiency in the country. However, some studies emphasized on the need of regular watering and irrigation to improve the quality and quantity of jujube fruit. Given the importance of jujube in China, extensive researches have been conducted on water requirements, plant strategies to save water, impact of drought stress on plant morpho-physiological behaviors, impact of appropriate water distribution on soil quantity and quality of plant development, root distribution patterns and its impact on the amount of water consumed. In all cases, it has been emphasized that the mechanisms of water consumption in jujube differ by climate, genotype, irrigation method and management. In order to improve the quantity and quality of jujube fruit, it is necessary to balance the soil moisture condition and keep the plant away from stress. However, dehydration in jujube is a serious issue that should be addressed with the aim of saving water and improving fruit quality. In this study, the actual water requirement of the plant, the effect of different levels of deficit irrigation on evapotranspiration (ET) and crop coefficient (Kc) rate, yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in jujube trees were investigated. The moisture stress was applied through all stages of plant growth by deficit irrigation.

In this study, the lysimeter experiment site of Yazd (Shahid Sadoghi Desertification Research Station) with 20 weighing drainage lysimeters (170 cm in height and 121 cm in diameter) was used. To measure evaporation from the soil surface, one lysimeter without plant was used. Note that the moisture content in this lysimeter was always maintained at the field capacity. For the measurement of reference ET (ET0), one lysimeter was used and it compared with ET0 calculated by Penman-Monteith-FAO. After preparing the lysimeters and providing the conditions for planting seedlings, we planted one tree per lysimeter. Trees collected from the villages of Alqoor, Flarg and Gyuk (South Khorasan Province). The suckers were two-years-old with the same size and shape. Trees were irrigated with 50 liters water on a weekly basis for six months. At the beginning of autumn of 2018, treatments including complete irrigation (field capacity), 30% and 60% of deficit irrigation were conducted in a completely randomized design with six replications. Soil moisture measurement during the experiment was performed by TDR. Soil moisture was recorded at 4 depths (0-30, 30-60, 60-90 and 90-120 cm) and their mean was considered as an index of soil moisture status to compensate the irrigation fraction. During the experiment and at the end, indices such as different stages of plant growth, ET, ET0, Kc, yield and WUE were determined. The data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the statistical package SPSS ver. 16.0, and the mean values were also compared using LSD multiple range test (α = 0.05).

The results showed that the jujube trees began their vegetative growth from late March (leaves appear) until the end of November (leaves fall) over 2017-2018 agronomic year in Yazd. During this time, which lasted about 235 days, four major and important stages were evident. The steps cited were in FAO's recommendation for deciduous fruit trees (in Issue 122 of the Iranian Irrigation and Drainage National Committee). The results of these studies showed that the length of different growth periods of jujube trees (including early stage, plant development stage, mid stage and end stage) was different with another deciduous fruit trees. ET values in three irrigation regimes showed that the highest ET was observed in July and the lowest in March. Annual ET in control, 30% and 60% of deficit irrigation treatments were 828.06, 514.04 and 386.04 mm, respectively, with 0.45, 0.28 and 0.21, annual Kc, respectively. The results of ET and Kc computed at different growth stages showed that the reproductive growth development period (flowering, fruit set beginning of fruit growth) had the highest ET. In control treatment, the lowest ET (60.81 mm) and Kc (0.27) were observed in early growth period with less than 10% of crown cover. The highest ET (316.22 mm) and Kc (0.60) were found in growth development period with full crown cover. Analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference (P <0.0001) between the different irrigation treatments in terms of dry matter yield. There was a significant difference for WUE (P <0.001) between different irrigation treatments. Each of different irrigation regimes had a significant difference in yield. The highest yield for each tree was found for the control treatment with 229.36 g and the lowest yield with 57.90 g was observed for 60% deficit irrigation regime. There was no significant difference between control and 30% deficit irrigation treatment in WUE. The value of WUE decreased with increasing the drought stress. In 60% deficit irrigation treatment, WUE was 0.366 g fruit dry weight per liter denoting the significant difference between this irrigation treatment and the others.

The results of this study showed that jujube trees were susceptible to drought stress in all four stages of growth, especially the period of growth coinciding with flowering, fruit set and early fruit growth. Hence, jujube trees yield and WUE seem to decrease under drought.

Raspberries composed of various varieties, are popular ingredients of daily diet with highly distinguished biological activities. In this study, a comparative investigation was conducted on various chemical potential of methanol extracts from Rubus loganobaccus L. leaf parts cultured in greenhouse and open-field. Biochemical activity of the extracts obtained from the field cultured leaves were observed to be higher than greenhouse cultured plants. In the antioxidant 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the field cultured leaves were better succeeded in radical scavenging with IC50 as low as 1.08 ± 0.75 μg/mL while in reducing power assay, open-field plants against greenhouse plants had a higher EC50 (2.82 ± 0.70 and 2.41 ± 0.75 μg/mL, respectively). Considerable antibacterial and antifungal activity were observed in open-field plants and greenhouse plants in minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) tests with a similar pattern, in which the lowest MIC and MBC in open-field and greenhouse plants were 5 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL, respectively, against Bacillus cereus and pseudomonas aeruginosa. This experiment revealed that leaf parts of Rubus loganobaccus cultured in greenhouse and in field possess a number of biological properties including antioxidative and antimicrobial potentials with the superiority of the later source which indicates the criticality of using natural products to improve human health.

In spite of existing of several methods for detection of viruses, time consuming is major limitation of them. So, developing faster and real time method is important to certificate the plant materials in quarantine stations and virus management. In the recent research, nanotechnology was employed to detect Potato virus S (PVS) using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Colloidal AuNPs were prepared through citrate reduction and conjugated to a specific antibody against PVS coat protein. Conjugation was optimized by changing the pH of AuNPs and antibody concentration. Antibody coated nanoparticles were used to detect different concentrations of antigen using spectrophotometry. After binding the antibody to the gold nanoparticles which cause an increase in particle size, the SPR peak was displaced in range of 4-5 nm and shifted from 524 to 530 nm. The binding of the antigen to the nanoparticle also caused a change in the particle size and an increase maximum absorbance from 530 to 539 nm. No spectral change were seen when PVY and CMV used as controls. This study is the first attempt of nanoparticle usage in quick and easy detection of PVS

The increasing of environmental stresses concerned identification of plants that have high performance in both normal and stress conditions. Ideal genotypes have high performance in normal conditions and show the fewest changes under stress. Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica Olive.) is the unique poplar species in desert areas with high tolerance against some environmental stress, including salinity. This research was carried out with the objective of investigating the effects of different salinity levels on the yield of different ecotypes and introducing the best ecotype. In this study cuttings were taken from 12 ecotypes of Euphrates poplar in Iran and treated by salinity levels of 0, 75, 150, 225 and 300 mM NaCl. The research was conducted in Two-way Factorial arrangement on a CRD design with three replications. The yield and productivity index (diameter and height growth, biomass production; leaf, stem and root biomass (dry weight) and total biomass) showed significant difference (p<0.01%) in salt levels treatments and ecotypes. The indices such as MP, GMP, HarM, TOL, SSI and STI were evaluated for each ecotype and salt treatments. The Hamidyeh ecotype was located higher than others in Duncan’s Multiple Range Test; and 75 mM NaCl was located higher than other treatments. In fact, the salinity increases growth rates and Euphrates poplar showed some halophytes’ characteristics. There was a high positive correlation among yield and indices GMP, GMP and SSI; while there was a negative correlation among yield and indices HarM and TOL. There was no correlation between yield and STI (p<0.05). Therefore, SSI is a suitable indicator of stress tolerance. The cluster analysis divided the ecotypes into four groups: Jolfa, Manjil, Sarakhs, Gonbad, Dezful and Mahallat in the first group, Hamidieh and Masoumieh in the second group, Maranjab and Gilvan in the third group, and finally, Marand and Mahanshan in the fourth group.

Among species of hardwood forest trees, Eucalyptus citriodora is a fast growing plant that is cultivated for aromatic essential oils in perfumes, pharmaceuticals, and its soft and light wood in the paper and furniture industry. The micropropagation of E. citriodora Lemon-scented Gum was carried out in two medium culture of MS (1/2N) and WPM through bud culture. Sterilization was done using solutions of mercuric chloride 0.1% and sodium hypochlorite 20%. Shoot multiplication was done with cytokinin (BAP, Kin), auxin (IBA) and gibberellin (GA3) hormones and rooting with auxin hormones IBA, NAA and IAA in only MS (1/2N) medium. The shoot multiplication was assessed in two medium using factorial experiment based on the completely randomized design (CRD) and rooting multiplication in one medium using CRD. Propagation coefficient, shoot length, greenity, total root and rooted seedlings were measured. The best sterilization was immersion seeds in 20 % sodium hypoclorite solution in 18 min. The best propagation and shoot elongation was obtained in MS (1/2N) medium coupled with BAP, Kin, GA3 cytokinin hormones and auxin hormones IBA in 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, 0.01 mgl-1 and 0.3, 0, 0.1, 0.01 mgl-1concentrations respectively by 200 mgl-1 P.V.P. The best rooting treatments were a modified MS (1/2N) medium, auxin hormone NAA and IBA+IAA in 1 mgl-1, 0.5mgl-1. These plantlets transferred to soil and were kept in the greenhouse conditions. The results of this study show that tissue culture is a suitable method for the propagation of this valuable species in a short time.

In order to compare native populations and commercial cultivars of guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.), a factorial experiment was conducted in three growing seasons (March 10, June 5 and August 15) in a randomized complete block design with three replications in Iranshahr city, Sistan and Baluchistan province, in 2017. Qualitative traits (the percentage of protein, carbohydrate, chlorophyll, and gum), yield and its components were measured. The results showed that the effect of planting season and genotype (native populations and commercial cultivars) on plant height was significant at 1% level. The Mean comparison showed that "Pishen" population × August 15 planting and "Grembit" population × March 10 planting interactions had the highest and lowest growth periods, respectively. The highest number of pods per plant was obtained in the interaction of "Grembit" population × 10 March planting. Also, the interactions of "Sarbaz" and "Grembit" populations × March 10 planting and "Grembit" × June 5 planting caused the highest amount of seed in the plant. The highest weight of seeds was obtained in the interactions of "Sarbaz", "Grembit" and "Dalgan" populations × March 10 planting, and the lowest one in the interactions of "HG-563" cultivar × August 15 planting and "RGC-1033" cultivar × March 10 planting. "Saravan" population on August 15 planting time had the highest carbohydrate percentage. The interactions of "Grembit" × June 5 and March 10 plantings and "RGC-986" × June 5 planting had the highest protein percentage and "RGC-986" × June 5 planting had the highest gum percentage. According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that Iranian guar populations are very important for the shortest growth period (premature), protein percentage, seed yield, number of pods per plant, and seed weight, and could be suggested in breeding programs of the species.

The main goal of seed storage is to maintain its quality from harvesting to sowing time. Among all factors, storage temperature and seed moisture content are the most important factors affecting seed longevity. This experiment was conducted at University of Tehran, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding during 1394 to determine the Ellis and Roberts deterioration model of Satureja hortensis seeds and introduce constants of viability equation. Seed viability and initial moisture content was measured and after that seeds were adjusted to 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13% moisture content and sealed hermetically in Nano packets. Storage temperatures were 10, 15, 20 and 25˚C. The interval of sampling depended on the storage conditions. Seed viability constants were estimated to predict seed longevity in this species and relationship between sigma and moisture content and temperatures was determined. After probit analysis, survival curves were depicted in each condition. Results showed that seeds with 5% moisture content stored at 10°C had the highest germination percentage, but seeds which were stored at 13% moisture content and 20 and 25°C had the highest deterioration rate. Estimates of KE, CW, CH and CQ were 4.31, 1.83, 0.031 and 0.0004, respectively. Also, the results showed that seed longevity decrease with increased seed moisture and temperature.

Coriander seed (Coriandrum sativum L.) has essential oil, lipid and protein, and the lack attention to seed storage condition causes physical and physiological damage and ultimately decreasesits quality and deterioration so a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design was carried out and six levels of time storage (30, 60, 90,120,150 and 180 days), five level of seed moisture (5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 %) and four level of temperature (10,15,20 and 25 oc ) were studied. The results showed that the moisture content of 13% had severe harmful effects on seed germination at different temperatures compared to other humidity. In 5% moisture, an increase in temperature from 10 to 25 oc had no significant effect on germination indices especially seed germination percent and it was above 90 in all temperatures. The results of different seed packaging material showed that between aluminum, fabric, paper and cellophane, aluminum has less impact on the germination indices. The conclustion that can storage coriander seeds in the moisture content of 5% and aluminum packaging at temperature bellow 25 for long-term without a significant reduction in its maintenance.

Centella asiatica (L.) is a popular and highly usable herb in the Middle East, Europe and the United States. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, and is also used to treat asthma and bronchitis. In recent years, due to overexploitation, and ineffectual efforts to revitalize this valuable herbal source, the abundance of C. asiatica (L.) in nature has suffered significantly, increasing the risk of its extinction. Therefore, interest in micropropagation of this valuable herb through in vitro plant tissue culture techniques has grown considerably. In this study also, for the first time, the micropropagation of this valuable medicinal plant was carried out through plant tissue culture by nodal explants. In order to proliferation, nodal explants collected from herbal material in Gilan province, after sterilization were cultured in MS medium supplemented with BA 1 mgL-1and IBA 0.1 mgL-1. After 1 month, For studying the in vitro shoot proliferation responses, free-contaminated shoot explants were cultured in 9 treatments of modified MS medium, and MS medium supplemented with BA 0.5 mgL-1, 2ip 0.5 mgL-1 and NAA 0.1 mgL-1 was selected as the best treatment. In the comparison of the effect of 11 different hormonal treatments in MS medium on rooting percentage and acclimatization, the MS medium supplemented with IBA 0.5 mgL-1 was chosen as the best treatment.

Gene expression in bacteria have already been used to study the protein of viruses and to produce specific antibodies. In this research, potato samples were collected from eight provinces of Iran and were tested for Potato virus S, as one of the most destructive viruses of potato fields, by DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR. Dominant isolate of PVS was selected according to coat protein (CP) gene sequences following phylogenetic analysis. Full length CP gene was amplified, cloned and sequenced, then was digested from pJET1.2/blunt vector, ligated into the expression vector pET-28a and the construct (pET-28a:PVS:CP) was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 strain. Gene expression was optimized by induction with 0.5, 1 and 2 mM final concentrations of IPTG for 3, 4 and 6 h and was verified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Based on the nucleotide analysis, the Iranian isolates of PVS were divided into three groups that one group with 22 members known as the dominant group. The expression of recombinant CP of about 34 kDa was proved by western blotting. Induction by 1 mM IPTG for 4 h proved to be the most efficient method of expression. This is the first report of the expression of PVS CP gene, which is important for the preparation of anti-PVS antibody.

Savory as an aromatic plant has traditionally been used in folk medicine as well as a spice of foods, showing inhibition against bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. There is interest in providing a new focus to contribute, from the perspective of genomic content, towards a better understanding of the Satureja adaptation. Using flow cytometry (FCM), nuclear DNA content of five Satureja (Lamiaceae) species, collected from different locations were analyzed for the first time. Linear regressions of 2C values were evaluated with ecological and morphological parameters. Flow cytometry measurements showed that 2C DNA contents varied from 1.30 to 1.47 pg in diploid species, and with a 2C value of 2.54 pg being obtained for the tetraploid species, S. spicigera. There were significant relationships between genome size and 18 morphological traits and climatic characteristics. These relationships could be resulted from geometrical scaling constraints. The obtained results will enhance the knowledge of the genus Satureja and constitute an important source of information for future researches.

This research was aimed to investigate the effects of sowing date and irrigation regimes on phytochemical attributes of guar genotypes. The study was conducted in a split-split plot randomized block design including two sowing dates (15th and 30th July), four irrigation regimes, and three genotypes with three replication for two seasons (2015 and 2016). The seeds were harvested and ethanolic extraction was prepared to analyze physicochemical traits such as antioxidant activity, phenol, tannin, protein, viscosity, galactomannan content, etc. The results showed that there were significant differences (P≤0.01%) between sowing date and irrigation regimes in case of phytochemical traits, seed protein, galactomannan content, and minerals. The range of galactomannan content was 28-33%, where the maximum galactomannan level (33.8%) was recorded for the interaction of late sowing date × four- stage irrigation schedule. Among the genotypes studied, the third genotype (RGC-1066) had the highest antioxidant activity and gum protein percentage. There is no significant difference among the genotypes for other characteristics. Late sowing date, G3 (RGC-1066) and four-stage irrigation schedule during growth cycle were the best treatments. The results of this study showed that guar planting in the study area is positively evaluated in terms of mineral materials, protein content, and gum viscosity; therefore, its development can be recommended in the agronomic program.

Urtica dioica L. is dioecious plant and cross pollination with active components and special medicinal properties with economic values. Due to high level of heterozygosity of the species, homogeneity in fiber production and harvesting of selected plants is not guaranteed by seed propagation. For this reason micropropagation and asexual proliferation is suggested for production of selected plants. For micropropagation of the species, apical buds of Nettle shoots were used as explant. After sterilization, the explants were transferred into MS medium containing BAP, 2iP and IBA. Then, to evaluate the culture conditions, the explants were located on culturing mediums (MS, DKW, WPM) with different concentrations of growth regulators (IBA, 2,4-D, BAP, KIN, 2iP , TDZ) in a factorial experimental model based on a completely randomized design with three replications. The best medium for shooting initiation was WPM culture. Between rooting treatments, the best root number and secondary roots belonged to KIN (0.5 mgl-1) IBA (0.5 and 1 mgl-1) and BAP (0.5 mgl-1) IBA (0.5 mgl-1) treatments, respectively. Then rooted plantlets transferred to the greenhouse and successfully were acclimatized (55.5%).