mohammadjavad seghatoleslami

This study aimed to evaluate the essential oil composition of Kala zeera (Bunium persicum Bioss) ecotypes and investigate the influence of climatic parameters on their fatty acid compositions due to the limited research in this area. Fruits from seven wild populations of Kala zeera (EC1-EC7) were harvested from their natural habitats in central and northeastern Iran between 2021 and 2022. Fifteen selected compounds included α-Pinene, 3-Thujene, β-Pinene, β-Myrcene, p-Cymene, Limonene, γ-Terpinene, α-Terpinolene, 2,4-Nonadienal, 3-Cyclohexen-1-ol, Cumin aldehyde, Cuminic alcohol, Propanal, Safranal, and L-Alanine. EC1 had the highest mean percentages of β-Myrcene (1.94%), Limonene (11.98%), and Safranal (9.90%), while EC2 only showed numerical superiority in α-Terpinolene with the highest mean of this compound (1.131%). The highest mean percentages of α-Pinene, β-Pinene, and Propanal were observed in EC6 at 3.654%, 4.812%, and 24.272% respectively. The highest mean percentages of 3-Thujene and γ-Terpinene were 2.199% and 21.912%, respectively, found in EC7. With increasing altitude, longitude, latitude, and average precipitation, the content of compounds such as p-cymene, 2,4-Nonadienal, L-Alanine, Cuminic alcohol, and the total content of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons showed a significant increase. In contrast, the content of 3-Thujene, γ-terpinene, α-terpinolene, and Cumin aldehyde showed a considerable decrease. Overall, the results indicated an increase in the annual mean temperature led to a significant rise in α-terpinolene, Cumin aldehyde, and the total content of oxygenated monoterpenes. At the same time, a decrease was observed in p-cymene, 2,4-Nonadienal, L-Alanine, Propanal, and the total content of hydrocarbon monoterpenes. The outcomes revealed that an escalation in temperature resulted in a reduction in the aggregate hydrocarbon monoterpenes and a surge in oxygenated monoterpenes. An increase in geographical latitude significantly raised hydrocarbon monoterpenes and reduced oxygenated monoterpenes, while the total identified compounds showed no significant correlation with the tested climatic parameters.

In order to investigate the effect of stress modulator application on safflower tolerance to water deficit stress, an experiment was conducted at the Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources of Balochistan in delete 2020 and 2021. The experiment followed a split-plot design based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The main plot of the experiment consisted of three levels of irrigation, specifically irrigation after 70, 140 and 210 mm of cumulative evaporation. The sub- plot included six levels of stress modulators and gibberellic acid, namely no-foliar application, glycine betaine, proline, ascorbic acid, and tocopherol. Means comparison interaction effects between years under water deficit stress with foliar application showed that in the first year, the irrigation after 210 mm of cumulative evaporation with the application of gibberellic acid led to a significant increase in the number of seed per boll and seed yield by 11.7 and 13.44%, respectively. A significant increase was observed in the number of seeds per boll with ascorbic acid application, the number of boll per m2 with tocopherol application, and the seed yield with gibberellic acid application, by 13, 77.4 and 109%, respectively, in the second year as compared with no foliar application. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate that the foliar application of stress modulators and gibberellic acid effectively mitigated the negative effects associated with irrigation after 210 mm of cumulative evaporation in safflower plants.

Utilizing plant nutrition systems, considering various climatic conditions and plant genotype characteristics can enhance the yield and quality of plant products, particularly medicinal plants. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of fertilizer sources (12 treatments) on the yield, yield components, and some biochemical characteristics of two ecotypes of Bunium persicum Bioss during two agricultural years (2021-2022) at the Agricultural Research Center and Natural Resources of South Khorasan (Mohammadiyeh), Birjand, Iran. The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design within a randomized complete block design with three replications. Two ecotypes (‘Birjand’ and ‘Saghafi’) were considered as main factors, and fertilizer treatments, including combinations of NPK1 (70-60-80), NPK2 (35-30-40), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and vermicompost (VC) were examined as sub-factors. Plant height, number of umbelts per umbel, number of seeds, thousand-seed weight, seed yield, total chlorophyll content, essential oil content (by Clevenger method), and essential oil yield (the result of multiplying the percentage of essential oil by seed yield)were measured. The results showed that fertilizer treatments significantly influenced thestudied traits, with the combined use of fertilizer system(NPK1+AMF+VC) leading to increased average traits in both experimental years. The ‘Birjand’ ecotype had higher seed yields by40.5% and 24.0%, respectively, compared to the ‘Saghafi’ecotype in the first and second years. In both years, the application of the NPK1+AMF+VC treatment resulted in the highest seed yield (19.2and83.3 g plant-1, respectively). The highest total chlorophyll content was obtained in the combined treatment application in both ecotypes(24.83 and 26.55 µg g-1 FW, respectively). Stepwise regression results showed that the number of umbelts per umbel, number of seeds per plant, thousand-seed weight, and total chlorophyll were influential traits on essential oil content. Overall, the combined application of chemical (NPK1), organic (VC), and biological(AMF) fertilizers exhibited high efficacy in enhancing the quantitative and qualitative traits of Bunium persicum.

In order to investigate the effect of irrigation method and fertilizer type on saffron corm production, a split-plot experiment was carried out in the research field of Islamic Azad University, Birjand Branch, Birjand, Iran during 2016-2018 years based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Three irrigation methods (flooding, surface drip, subsurface drip) were as the main plots. Also, six fertilizer levels (1-cattle manure at 25 t/ha, 2-chemical fertilizer including 150, 100, and 150 kg/ha urea, triple superphosphate and potassium sulfate, respectively, 3-biological fertilizer at 200, 300 and 300 g/ha including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, respectively, 4-the combination of 50% cattle manure and 50% chemical fertilizer, 5-the combination of 50% biological fertilizer and 50% chemical fertilizer and 6-non-fertilizer application) were the subplots. The results showed that the simple and interaction effects of irrigation method and fertilizer type on the corms number and yield was significant. In general, the results indicated superiority of treatment subsurface drip irrigation and combination of 50% cattle manure with 50% chemical fertilizer. It seems that reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and replacing them with livestock manure can lead to sustainable agriculture and reduce environmental pollution. On the other hand, using of subsurface drip irrigation under the conditions of increasing drought stress in the region will be an effective step in increasing saffron yield.

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a plant belonging to the Poaceae family and adapted to cold and moderate weather conditions. Avena genus includes annual herbaceous plants with economic and medicinal importance. Among the various aspects of agricultural management, choosing the right cultivar and planting date is the most noticeable, because even in similar climates and the same planting date, there is a great difference in the performance of different cultivars and genotypes. Due to the fact that high-yielding oat line and its appropriate planting date have not been introduced for Birjand region, this research was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of planting date on some agronomic traits of four cultivated oat lines in Birjand.

In order to investigate the possibility of oat crop genotypes planting in Birjand, a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted in 2013 at the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Birjand University. The two factors studied included four cultivated oat lines (A5, L2, L7 and bare oats) and three sowing dates (October 24, November 10 and November 26). In this study, traits such as plant height, inflorescence length, number of tillers per plant, number of days to emergence, stem elongation, ear emergence and to maturity, number of ear per square meter, number of seeds per ear, 1000 seed weight, grain yield, biomass yield, harvest index, seed protein percentage and protein yield were studied.

The effect of line on the studied traits except for the number of tillers per plant, number of ear per square meter and biological yield was significant. L7 line with 7003 and 1061 kg.ha-1 had the highest seed and protein yield, respectively. The effect of planting date on inflorescence length, number of seeds per panicle, seed yield, harvest index and protein yield were not significant. Delay in planting, although it caused a delay in emergence and especially a delay in the beginning of tillering, accelerated the reproductive growth of the plant. So that on the date of planting November 26 compared to October 24, ripening occurred more than two weeks earlier. The colder weather on the planting date of November 26, delayed the germination of the seeds. Also, delay in planting from October 24 to November 26 reduces plant height (8.6%), number of spikes per square meter (21.2%), biomass yield (9.6%) and increases the number of tillers per plant (35%). By changing the planting date, many environmental conditions for production will change. Following these changes, some plant characteristics effective in seed performance, including the production of flower buds, which are directly influenced by day length and day and night temperature, change in the direction of increasing or decreasing seed yield. At an earlier planting date, the length of the oat growth period increases and this plant uses more light and nutrients in the soil and therefore its height increases. The interaction effect of planting date and line was significant only on the number of days to stem elongation, number of days to maturity, 1000-seed weight and seed protein percentage. The highest percentage of seed protein was related to the bare line in planting date of November 26 and the lowest in A5 line in planting date of October 24. It seems that in earlier planting dates, the plant had more opportunity to use nutrients, especially nitrogen, while in later planting dates, due to the short growth period of the plant, there was no such possibility. As a result, seed protein has increased in earlier planting dates.

Based on the results of this experiment, L7 line can be used on November 23rd to have the highest grain yield, biomass yield and protein yield for Birjand region.

Ziziphora tenuir and Teucrium polium belong to the Labiatae family. So far, 25 and 4 species of Ziziphora tenuir have been reported in the world and Iran, respectively, which are used for novel digestive disorders, common cold, depression, and migraine. A total of 200 species of Teucrium polium have been identified in the world, and 12 species exist in Iran. The historical use of this herb dates back to the time of Hippocrates and Galen. The present study aimed to investigate some of phytochemical characteristics of two medicinal species of Ziziphora tenuir and Teucrium polium in Sarbisheh region of South Khorasan Province.

In this in vitro study, the aerial parts of Ziziphora tenuir and Teucrium polium, including leaves, flowers, and flowering branches, were collected from the region at the end of July 2019, and after drying, the samples were distilled using a Clovnjer machine. The identification of the constitutive compounds of the obtained essential oils was performed using GC and GC/MS devices.

The main composition of the essential oil in Ziziphora tenuir in the study area was Pulegone, with 92.55%, including eight types of essential oil composition. The highest amount of effective substances was reported for phenol and antioxidant, while tannin and flavonoid had the lowest amount. 23 essential oil compounds, including Camphor (43.72) and Artemisia alcohol (18.61%) were identified as the highest amounts for Teucrium polium, while Cymene (0.42) and a-Thujone (0.24%) were reported as the lowest amounts. The effective ingredients of Teucrium polium, including Phenol and antioxidant, in contrast with flavonone and flavonoid, were respectively reported as the highest and lowest amounts.

The high amount of Phenol in both species indicated the inhibitory power and is related to the Terpinen compounds in the essential oil of both species. On the other hand, the lower the IC50 value, the higher the inhibition of free radicals and, as a result, the higher the antioxidant property.

The increasing use of medicinal plants and their products has elevated the importance of these plants in the global economy. The global consumption of these plants is rising rapidly. The guar plant (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) is an annual herbaceous and medicinal plant. This plant is suitable for arid and semiarid climates, including Iran, due to its short life cycle. This plant's extracts are used in the cosmetics and health industries to create moisturizing creams. In addition, this plant's products are utilized in the medical, food, and petrochemical industries. In Iran's arid and semiarid regions, the optimal use of water in the production of agricultural and pharmaceutical products is one of the foremost concerns of researchers. In Iran's arid and semiarid regions, the optimal use of water in the production of agricultural and pharmaceutical products is one of the foremost concerns of researchers. Utilizing compounds that reduce the effects of stress, such as salicylic acid, is one of the suitable agricultural practices during drought conditions. In these conditions, it is also advised to plant at a suitable density for optimal use of light and other resources, and to avoid interplant competition. This research was conducted to determine the impact of irrigation and salicylic acid at various densities on guar yield and some of its characteristics.

In order to investigate the effect of irrigation, plant density, and salicylic acid on guar, an experiment was conducted in 2018 in Mashhad as a factorial split plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plot consisted of irrigation levels (25, 50, 75, and 100% evapotranspiration of the reference plant), while the sub-plot consisted of factorial levels of density (4.4, 6.7, and 13.3 plants per square meter) and salicylic acid (non-application and application).

The comparison of means revealed that the application of salicylic acid resulted in a 6.9% increase in plant height. Salicylic acid regulates various physiological processes, such as plant growth and development, through the synthesis of special proteins called protein kinase, which regulates cell division, differentiation, and morphogenesis, and has a significant impact on plant height. The full irrigation treatment produced the highest leaf area index (6.1) and plant density per square meter (13.3) compared to all other treatments. Under conditions of water stress, the decrease in photosynthetic capacity of the plant due to stomatal closure and the decrease in cell turgor and cell division cause the plant to have small and underdeveloped leaves, resulting in a decrease in the leaf area index in the field. Results indicated that providing 100% of the reference plant's evapotranspiration resulted in the highest average grain yield of 937.28 kg ha-1. By decreasing plant density at 100 and 75% of the reference plant's evapotranspiration, seed production in pods increased significantly, whereas increasing plant density decreased grain yield. The highest number of pods per plant, number of pods per square meter, 1000-seed weight, and biological yield were obtained under conditions of providing 100% evapotranspiration and application of salicylic acid. Additionally,, poor irrigation practices in the absence of salicylic acid application decreased guar's biological yield.

Due to limited water resources, it is recommended that this plant receive irrigation equivalent to 75% of the evapotranspiration of the reference plant in Mashhad conditions. In addition, intensive cultivation of this plant is not advised due to the impact of high densities on reproductive processes. Due to the lack of effect of salicylic acid on grain yield, its use in this plant, is not recommended.

Sclerorhachis leptoclada belongs to Asteraceae family is one of the most medicine vegetable in traditional medicine in Birjand. In many field observation duos to investigate of aut ecology, ethnopharmacology and ecomorphology of Sclorhachis leptoclada Boiss. aerial parts of plant in blooming were collected from Ark (1395-1396). Ethno pharmacological data and biological spectrum of medicinal plants were obtained from rural healers. Also, by selecting three points in the habitat and three heights in each position, morphological characteristics such as plant height, number of leaves, number of flowering stems, dry weight and tremor were evaluated at the flowering stage. Results showed that this natural plant was wild grew in sandy loam soil, Ec=8/18, PH=7, Plant flowers appeared in Jun and May falled in late of July. Biological spectrum was showed that 31 medicine plants were grow wild in this region belongs to Asteraceae (19/3%), Apiaceae (12/9%), Lamiaceae (16/1), and in terms of biophyte Therophytes with 13 species (93.41%), Geophytes with 11 species (48.35%), Had the largest number of species and mostly belonged to the Iranian-Turanian, Mediterranean (41.9%) European-Siberian, Mediterranean (19.3%) origin. The results also showed that with increasing altitude in all three selected locations in the habitat, the number of leaves, dry and wet weight and plant height decreased. Finally, the observed diversity can be related to the role of altitude and the genetic structure of the populations, which can also be considered as a kind of adaptation and physiological response of Mastar to environmental conditions.

Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) is one of the five important oil plants of Iran. Water deficit stress is one of the most important limiting factors in sunflower cultivation. Methanol is used to deal with environmental stresses, especially dehydration. Preventing or reducing light respiration, delaying leaf senescence, increasing photosynthetic activation period and leaf area duration index and increasing Co2 fixation are among the roles of methanol application in plants. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of methanol spraying on some morphophysiological characteristics, yield and yield components of sunflower under drought stress conditions.

This field experiment was conducted as a split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Birjand, Iran, in 2017. The main plots included two levels irrigation (irrigation after 80 and 160 mm evaporation form class A pan). On the other hand, the sub- plots included five levels of methanol spraying; control (no spraying), 7, 14 and 21 v/v. Statistical analysis was performed using MSTATC software. Duncan's multiple range test at the 5% level of probability was used to compare the means.ResultsResults showed that deficit irrigation reduced stem diameter, number of seeds per head and kernel / husk weight ratio. Methanol spraying also increased the number of seeds per head. Also, methanol spraying improved most of the studied traits under two irrigation treatments. So that under drought stress conditions, foliar application with 28% volumetric methanol increased plant height (9.9%), stem diameter (5%) and leaf number per plant (14.7%). Compared to control, foliar application with 14% volumetric methanol increased chlorophyll content (8%) and foliar application with 21% volume methanol increased stomatal conductance (34.7%), 1000-grain weight (12%), grain yield (27.9%) and biological yield (23.4%). According to the results, under optimum irrigation conditions, maximum sunflower grain yield was obtained with 28% volumetric methanol spraying, but under drought stress conditions, spraying with 21% volume methanol was the best one.

The results showed that foliar application of methanol under optimum and also deficit irrigation conditions did not affect the percentage and yield of sunflower oil seed, but increased seed yield. Maximum grain yield under optimum irrigation was obtained with 28% volumetric spraying, which was 27% more than control. Also, the results showed that under arid and semi-arid conditions of Birjand, deficit irrigation with using methanol (21% volumetric) produces acceptable grain yield.Chlorophyll meter, Leaf temperature, Oil percentage, Stomatal conductance

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is an industrial plant whose quality is affected by foliar application and irrigation regimes. In the present study, a field experiment was designed to assess the responses of cumin to foliar nutrition with salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), paclobutrazol (PBZ), and chitosan (CS) treatments under drought stress in Sistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center during 2019-2020. This experiment was performed as split plots based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The irrigation regime included three levels according to the evapotranspiration percentage of reference plant (supply of 100%, 70% and 40% water requirement of the plant (WR)). Based on the results, drought stress negatively affected photosynthetic pigments, yield, and yield components. Morpho-physiological traits improved under drought stress and non-stress conditions following the foliar fertilization. Moreover, foliar nutrition, especially JA, PBZ, and SA, resulted in synthesizing more photosynthetic pigments and proline, rising antioxidant enzyme activity, and consequently increasing yield components. The most positive effect of increasing chlorophyll content was related to the use of JA, which resulted in 27.9, 29.4, and 28.4% increase in chlorophyll a, b, and total, respectively. The highest SOD activity (3.89 U/mg protein) was related to the without foliar application under non-stress treatment. Additionally, SA, JA, and CS applications under severe water stress showed the highest SOD activity. The effect of SA and JA was superior on RWC. PBZ application under non-stress conditions showed the highest seed yield (698.9 kg/ha).

Water deficit stress occurs when a combination of physical and environmental factors reduces the availability of water in the root environment and the structure of the plant, thereby reducing crop yield. One of the most important stresses is WDS, which may occur under low rainfall conditions, high temperatures and winds. The response of the plant to WDS depends on the stage of growth in which the drought occurs at that stage. WDS limits photosynthesis by stomata to close and, thus alter the physiological traits and productivity of plants such as synthesis of photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzyme activities, proline, anthocyanin, and etc. Tolerant crops cultivation is a quick and low-cost methods that could be used to increase the yield of crops and economically productive under stress conditions. Thus, the aims of this experiment was to study the effect of WDS on seed germination indices, seedling physiological traits, yield and physiological and biochemical responses of sesame, hemp, and purslane under laboratory and field conditions.

Field experiment was performed as a split-plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Irrigation levels based on the potential for evapotranspiration at three levels (40%, 70% and 100%) and three plant species (sesame, purslane and hemp) were as main plots and sub plot, respectively. Germination test was conducted as a factorial based on a completely randomized design with three replications to evaluate the effect of drought stress (at four levels of zero, -3, -6 and -9 bar) and sodium silicate (at three levels of zero, 1.5, and 3 mM) on germination characteristics of these three plants. After checking the normality of data distribution assumption, the studied traits were statistically analyzed by the Statistical Analysis System software (SAS) for germination and field experiments. The differences among means were using the least significant difference (LSD) test at 0.05 level of significance.

The highest GP (86%) was achieved purslane seed under the non-stress condition and lowest GP (39.33%) was in hemp seed under -9 bars. Increasing the WDS severity, GR showed a significant decrease in the three crops. Although, in all three crops, GP and GR showed significantly reducing compared to the non-stress condition, the rate of GP reduction were different. These reductions in sesame, hemp, and purslane seeds compared to the control treatment were 15.3, 24.6, and 48.06%, respectively and rate of GR reduction was 37.1, 28.7, and 59.8%, respectively Seed priming with sodium silicate at the level of 1.5 mM in drought levels increased the mean weight of seedling vigor index. The effect of WDS on total chlorophyll of sesame, hemp, and purslane seedlings was significant. Among the osmotic potential levels, -3 bars treatment had the highest total chlorophyll content (37.1 µg/g FW). The interaction effects of year × WDS × crops on seed yield were significant. Mean comparison of triple interaction showed that the purslane plant in both years and sesame plant in the first year under non-stressed conditions (100% PET) had the highest seed yield (1389.8, 1355.7, and 1352.4 kg/ha, respectively). The lowest this trait was related to hemp plant under severe stress conditions (40% PET) in both years of experiments. The average seed yield of two years was high in purslane crop but the mean seed yield loss under WDS was lowest in sesame and highest in hemp crops. These results indicate the superiority of two purslane and sesame crops compared to hemp under WDS. Among the plants tested, purslane had the highest total chlorophyll content. In conclusion, although purslane had the highest grain yield, the reduction in grain yield under severe stress conditions was the lowest in sesame and the highest in hemp. Overall, the results of the germination and field experiments showed that purslane was more tolerant of drought stress due to its morpho-physiological characteristics.

To determine the effect of irrigation levels and planting date on savory, an experiment was carried out in Agricultural, Medicinal Plants and Animal Sciences Research center of Islamic Azad University of Birjand, Iran in 2016-2017. The experimental design was split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Irrigation levels (25, 50, 75 and 100% of evaporation (E) from the class A evaporation pan) and planting dates (March 17, April 10 and May 5) were as main plots and sub- plots, respectively. Results showed that shoot WUE increased (69%) in 25% E compared to 100% E treatment. The effect of planting date on all studied traits was significant. The highest plant height, number of branches, dry weight of flowering branches and shoot, flowering branches WUE, shoot WUE, essential oil WUE and yield were obtained in the 5 May planting date. Also, the highest percentage of essential oil and leaf RWC was observed in the April 10 planting date. The interaction of irrigation and planting dates showed that 100% E and 5 May planting date resulted in the highest (31.28) and 25% E and 17 March planting date produced the lowest (18.14) number of branches per plant. The results of this experiment showed that considering WUE, to achieve the maximum quantitative and qualitative performance of savory in Birjand, it is better to sow it on May 5 and irrigate it at 25% evaporation from pan, in five days irrigation intervals.

Abiotic stresses are major constraints for many crop plants in specific areas over the globe which limits crop production. Drought, the occurrence of a substantial water deficit in the soil, is an alarming constraint to crop productivity and yield stability worldwide. Drought is the leading environmental stress in world agriculture, causing losses in crop yield. Drought stress adversely affects a variety of vital physiological and biochemical processes in plants, leading to reduced growth and final crop yield. One quick strategy to promote plant drought tolerance is exogenous application of various compounds, including organic solutes (organic osmolytes and plant growth regulators) and mineral nutrients. Recently, this strategy has gained considerable attention because of its efficiency, feasibility, and cost- and labor-effectiveness. In this experiment, we studied the roles of some plant growth regulators foliar application including putrescine, humic acid, salisylic acid and methanol, in foxtail millet response to drought stress in enhancing millet drought tolerance and alleviating the damaging effects of drought stress.

In order to evaluate the effect of plant growth regulators on yield and morpho-phenological traits of foxtail millet under drought stress condition an experiment in split plot arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications conducted in two years of 2017 and 2018 at the Agricultural Research Center of Birjand branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand. Experimental factors included drought stress as main factor in three levels (irrigation in 30, 70 and 100 percent of plant water requirement) and foliar application of plant growth regulators as sub plot in five levels (control and foliar application of putrescine, humic acid, salisylic acid and methanol). The water requirement was determined by FAO method using evaporation data from Class A pan with 80% efficiency for field water distribution (Hellen et al., 1998). In this method, FAO guidelines were used to determine the vegetative coefficient at different stages of growth. Foliar application of 1 mM salicylic acid, 1 mM putrescine, 1.5 kg.ha-1 humic acid, and 25% volumetric methanol were used in two stages (early stem elongation and early flowering). The averages of data statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) by using the SAS system for windows, version 9.1 (SAS Inst., 2001) and means were compared using Duncan Multiple Range Test at 0.05% probability.

Results showed that drought stress led to significant reduction in plant height, peduncle length, number of panicle per meter square, number of grain per panicle, 1000 grain weight, grain yield and biomass while foliar application of plant growth regulators improved morphological traits, yield components and finally grain yield. The highest biomass and grain yield were obtained at 100% water requirement with 704.5 and 267.7 g.m-2, respectively. At 70% of water requirement these traits decreased by 20.2 and 25.2 percent and in 30% of water requirement they reduced by 51.2% and 58.4%, respectively. Foliar application of putrescine, humic acid, salisylic acid and methanol enhanced millet grain yield by 8.3, 23.9, 17.1 and 19.6 percent, respectively in contrast to control treatment. Investigation the interaction of year in irrigation on biomass and grain yield revealed that in both studied years, the highest values of these traits were obtained from 100% water requirement treatment and with increasing of stress intensity they reduced significantly.

Generally, results revealed that application of plant growth regulators improved foxtail millet grain yield under water stress. Application of humic acid under optimal irrigation condition and application of methanol in severe drought stress had the highest impact in improving grain yield.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is an annual and C4 plant that belongs to the family of Portulacaceae. The plant is drought- and salt-tolerant which contains high amounts of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins. Nitrogen is the key element in soil fertility and crop production. Attention to the soil quality and health has increased in recent years, especially for sustainable production of medicinal crops. So that, for production of healthy food in industrialized countries, using natural and on-farm inputs has been considered. One of the practical ways to achieve this goal is organic and biofertilizers. Given the importance of Purslane as a medicinal plant and due to the fact that there is not detailed information about the nitrogen requirement for this plant, this study was conducted to effect of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on yield,  N and P use efficiency Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) in Birjand, Iran 

In order to investigate the effect of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on the yield and yield components of purslane seed, an experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications in Birjand University Research Farm in crop years 2015-2016 and 2017- 2018. Experimental treatments were based on a combination of four sources of nitrogen supply: cow manure, vermicompost, fertilizer (NPK) and control (without any fertilizer application), and four types of biofertilizer including: nitroxin (including azotobacter and azospirillum), mycorrhiza (Glomus intraradices), Biosulfur (including thiobacillus with sulfur) and control (without any fertilizer). The traits studied in this experiment included: biomass yield, grain yield, nitrogen and phosphorus biomass percentage, nitrogen and phosphorus biomass content, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake efficiency, seed based nitrogen and phosphorus uptake efficiency, agronomic efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus based They were. 

The results showed that the effect of nitrogen sources on all studied traits (except physiological grain nitrogen efficiency) was significant. The highest grain yield (1959.99 kg.ha-1) and biomass yield (9782.43 kg.ha-1) were obtained from NPK treatment with no significant difference with cow manure. Also, the most nitrogen efficiency indices were obtained from NPK treatment. However, no significant difference was observed between agronomic efficiency of grain and cow manure. The highest phosphorus content and biomass phosphorus content were obtained from NPK treatment. However, with the use of organic and chemical fertilizers, the efficiency of phosphorus use decreased. The effect of biofertilizers on most of the studied traits (except biomass P percent) was not significant. Interaction of nitrogen sources and biofertilizers was significant on most of the studied traits (except grain yield, agronomic efficiency of N and P). 

Based on the results of this experiment, considering the environmental effects and increasing the efficiency of nitrogen use for sustainable production of purslane seed in Birjand region can be used as fertilizer replacement (NPK).

In order to determine the effect of irrigation levels and planting date on savory, an experiment was conducted in Birjand in 2016-2017 as a split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Irrigation levels (100, 75, 50 and 25% evaporation) and planting dates (March 16, April 11 and May 15) were as the main plots and sub plots, respectively. The results showed that reducing the amount of irrigation water to 50% of evaporation from the pan, did not have any significant effect on the most studied traits, but in the treatment of 25% of evaporation from the pan, number of lateral branches, grain yield, biomass yield and harvest index decreased compared to 100% evaporation treatment from the pan. Planting dates in March and April were not significantly different in terms of the most studied traits, but delay in planting to May 15, reduced plant height, number of lateral branches, remobilization rate, remobilization efficiency and grain and biomass yield. The highest CGR was related to the treatment 75% evaporation and planting dates of April 21 and May 15. The highest dry weight of seed branches was related to treatment 100% evaporation and March 16. On the other hand, the highest remobilization contribution in grain yield was related to the treatment 25% evaporation from the pan and planting dates April 11. Totally, aimed to save water, irrigation levels of 50% evaporation from the pan at five-day irrigation intervals and planting on April 11 is recommended.

Seedy barberry (Berberis integerrima L.) has many applications in pharmaceutical, food, and health industries and grows naturally in Iran. To study the phytochemical properties of seedy barberry fruits and leaves in Kerman province, 5 habitats including Bam, Jiroft, Anbarabad, Rabar, and Baft were selected. The phytochemical properties of the fruit including pH, malic acid, soluble solids, anthocyanin, dry weight, antioxidant properties, and total phenol, as well as chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of the leaves were studied in a completely randomized design. Results showed that the sample from Anbarabad habitat had the highest pH (3.66), TSS (17.10%), fruit dry weight (3.66 g), total chlorophyll (0.99 μg g-1), and carotenoids (1.82 μg g-1), showing significant differences from the samples obtained from the other habitats. In addition, the antioxidant properties of Jiroft (0.42 mg g-1) and Rabar (0.40 mg g-1) samples were significantly 5%, respectively higher than those of the other habitats. The maximum and minimum levels of malic acid contents were recorded in the samples obtained from Jiroft and Bam, by 3.51% and 2.8%, respectively. Dendrogram analysis divided the biochemical properties of the seedy barberry populations into two main groups. Bam, Rabar, Baft, and Jiroft were grouped together and Anbarabad population made another group. The study concluded that the phytochemical properties of seedy barberry varies in different habitats.

Increasing of crop density and using methanol are among the factors, which can increase the competitiveness of okra (Abelmuschus esculentus)with weeds and cause increase of yield. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted in split plot factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farm of Islamic Azad University, Birjand Branch in the 2017. Methanol treatment with two levels including control and 20% by volume of foliar application of methanol) have been assigned as main plots, crop density at two levels including five and 10 plants per m2 and weed-free periods including weed-free until the end of harvest, weed-free up to five weeks after emergence and weed-free up to 10 weeks after emergence allocated as sub-plots. The results showed that the highest yield of fresh okra (1048 g m-2) and biological yield (231 g m-2) were obtained in the application of 20% by volume of methanol, density of 10 plants per m2 and weeding during the vegetation growth stage. The maximum dry weight of narrow-leaved weeds obtained in the absence of methanol application, density of five plants per m2 and weed weeding, up to five weeks after emergence (641 g m-2) respectively and the highest dry weight of broadleaf weeds obtained in methanol application, density of five plants per m2 and weeding up to five weeks after emergence (324 g m-2). In general, the results of this experiment showed that although methanol, improved okra traits in interference and weed-free conditions, but selecting the appropriate density (10 plants m-2) played a very important role for the effective traits of okra to increase fresh fruit yield and maintaining it in terms of competition with weeds.

Poor germination and low seedling growth of stevia are common problems in the cultivation of the plant. Nutri-priming is a newest, safe, easy, and effective method to increase germination characteristics and seedling tolerance against stress. The objective in this study was to assess the effect of nutri-priming with nano potassium (nano-K), paclobutrazol (PBZ), and salicylic acid (SA) on stevia seed germination indices and physiological traits under drought stress conditions (0, -3, -6, and -9 bar; induced by polyethylene glycol 8000). Results indicated that germination indices (germination percentage and rate, mean germination time, seedling length, and seedling vigor index) and photosynthetic pigment contents (chlorophyll a, b, and total) were negatively affected by drought stress. While drought stress increased activity of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase) and proline content. Seed nutri-priming with nano-K + SA + PBZ was the best treatment in improving germination traits and physiological characteristics. The highest germination percentage was related to seeds that were treated by nano-K + SA + PBZ under control and -3 bar drought treatments (62.4 and 64.0%, respectively). In all drought levels, the lowest amounts of germination percentage were found in unprimed seeds. The minimum germination percentage was obtained from unprimed seeds at -9 bar (29.05% reduction compared to unprimed seeds under the osmotic potential of 0 bar). As a result, this study indicated that the use of nano-K+SA+PBZ as a pre-sowing seed treatment can promote the poor germination performance of stevia and protect from negative impacts of drought stress.

Medicinal crops production is well interested in Iran due to market demand in recent years. Silybum marianum L. is an annual or biennial plant, native to the Mediterranean region, which now could be found in other warm and dry regions. Silybium marianum is used traditionally as a hepatoprotective agent and supportive treatment of liver disorders. Its fruits contain flavonolignan compounds, silymarin, which silybin is the main constitute (Abdolahzareh et al., 2012). Management of planting date and integrated nutrition systems in medicinal plants have to be considered. Sowing date affects the crop yields through changing weather parameters in the growth period. In addition to planting date, fertilizers rate and type, has an influence on crop production. Today continuous and excessive application of chemical fertilizers may have negative impacts on soil health and environment causing environmental problems (Mohammadpour Vashvaei et al., 2017). Bio-fertilizers are considered as sustainable alternative sources of nutrients compared to the synthesized fertilizers. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of sowing date and fertilizing system (chemical, biological and integrated) on the morphological traits and yield of the milk thistle under Birjand, Iran conditions.

This research was carried out at the research farm of Birjand branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran, in 2018. The experiment was conducted as a split plot based on a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Three sowing dates (March 6, April 4 and May 5) and 6 fertilizing systems (non-fertilizer as control, NPK, vermicompost, Akadin, 50% NPK + 50% vermicompost, 50% NPK + 50% Akadin) were as main plots and sub plots respectively. In the study the responses of some morphological traits and yield of Milk Thistle were evaluated. Soil texture in the site of study was loam. Soil pH and EC were 7.4 and 2.3 mmos/cm respectively. Nitrogen, P, and K content of the soil were 3.8, 11.6 and 75.2 mg/kg at the depth of 0-30 cm, respectively. All data were analyzed by SAS statistical software and means were compared by LSD Test at 5% level.

The first planting date (March 6) had the highest average morphological traits (plant height, capitol diameter and number of branches) and seed yield components (capitol number per m2, number of seed per capitol, 1000-seed weight, seed yield). On the other hands the treatments 50% NPK and 50% vermicompost fertilizers had statistical superiority for most of the studied traits. The highest (3327.7 kg/ha) and the lowest (318.4 kg/ha) seed yield were related to the treatments NPK+ vermicompost at the first planting date and treatment of non-fertilizer application at the third planting date, respectively. It seems that seed yield declining for the planting date of May 5, was related to the shortening of growth season and the coincidence of pollination with summer heating. This caused a severe decrease in the number of capitol per m2 and the number of seed per capitol. Normally, using organic fertilizers with chemical fertilizers improves physical aspects of the soil; increases microorganisms activity in the soil, nutrients availability, photosynthesis, yield components and eventually seed yield (Mohammadpour Vashvaei et al., 2017). Similar results also have been reported by Zarghani et al. (2019). Morphological traits quantity positively correlated to yield components and seed yield. Thus the highest value for these traits were observed for the first planting date under using NPK+ vermicompost. As a result, the superiority of seed yield of Silybum marianum in this treatment compared to other treatments, was to be expected. The results of regression analysis showed that traits capitol diameter, number of capitol per m2, number of seed per capitol and 1000-seed weight were entered into the regression model, which explained 84.57% of total seed yield changes.

In general, the planting date of March 6 was superior to the other two planting dates and this planting date could be suggested as a suitable date for the cultivation of Milk Thistle in Birjand region under using 50% NPK+ 50% vermicompost.

This experiment was carried out as a split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 and the data related to 2017-2018 were analysed. The irrigation time for the main plot (A) consisted of 4 levels including I1: control (traditional irrigation) on October 12, I2: irrigation at 10 days after I1, I3: I1+ one additional irrigation after the last irrigation (April 30), I4: the first irrigation time was done 10 days later than the traditional irrigation+ one additional irrigation 10 days after the last irrigation. Sub plot (B) was the foliar application of various stimulators including of G1: control, G2: acid salicylic, G3: Complete micro fertilizer, G4: nano Tio2, G5: nano Sio2. In this experiment different traits of corm and flower and stigma quality were determined. The results indicated that foliar application of complete micro fertilizer and Sio2 nanoparticles had the highest number of daughter corms. Moreover,both of them caused 25 percent increase overthe control group. Irrigation times at I4 and I1 yielded the maximum and minimum contents of dry weight of style and stigma. Foliar application of complete micro fertilizer was the best treatment in terms of dry weight of style and stigma.  The most contents of crocin among various fertilizers belonged to complete micro and Tio2 nanoparticles. The highest amount of picrocrocin belonged to complete micro fertilizer and salicylic acid. The salicylic acid foliar application was the best treatment in terms of chlorophyll content of saffron leaves. In conclusion the first irrigation on October 12 and using complete micro fertilizer are reconded.

Nutrition management is one of the most important parameters in determining the yield and quality of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). In order to study the effects of foliar application on flower and corm yield of saffron, a field experiment was conducted as factorial layout based on a randomized complete block design during growing season of 2016-2017 at a private farm in Bojd village of Birjand, Iran. Treatments included three levels of seaweed (Acadian) (control, 1 and 2 liters per thousand), three levels of Urea (such as control, 7 and 10 per thousand) and two levels of micronutrient (MICROMIX ECOQUEL) fertilizers (including control and 2 per thousand). The results revealed that the effect of seaweed on all measured traits was positive and significant. The application of 2 l.ha-1 seaweed was increased dried weight of stigma, the number of flower, corm dried weight and dried weight of leaf up to 65.32, 37.06, 61.99 and 16.15 percent compared to control, respectively as (P≤0.01). The effect of Urea foliar application on the all measured traits was significant. The highest dry yield of stigma by 41.3% as compared to control was produced in 7 kg.ha-1 urea foliar application. The effect of foliar micronutrient was positive and significant on all measured traits. Generally, application of 2 L.ha-1 of seaweed, 7 kg of urea and 2 kg of micronutrient had the highest yield in most of the measured traits. Overall, the use of ecologic fertilizers while reducing the consumption of chemical fertilizers and mitigating environmental pollutions, will be an effective and promising step towards sustainable agriculture.

In order to study the effect of green manure and different levels of nitrogen on yield and nitrogen use efficiency in purslane, an experiment was conducted as a split plot design based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Farm of Birjand University in 2014-2015. Four green manure (control (no green manure), Vicia villosa L., Eruca sativa L., and a mixture of Eruca sativa L. and Vicia villosa L.) and three levels of nitrogen (0 (control), 50 and 100 kg. ha-1) were considered as main plots and sub plots, respectively. The results showed that using green manure had no effect on grain and forage yields of purslane. The use of 100 kg.ha-1 nitrogen also led to 18.81 percent increase of dry forage yield (3992.3 kg. ha-1) compared with the control (3360.1 kg. ha-1). In addition, green manure with high nitrogen levels improved the yield and nitrogen content of biomass and decreased absorption and agronomy efficiency of nitrogen based on forage yield. The results revealed that, considering the reduction of nitrogen efficiency despite the use of green and nitrogen fertilizers and taking into account production costs and environmental problems, the nitrogen content in the soil (54.6 kg. ha-1) is sufficient for stable grain production and 50 kg.ha-1 nitrogen for forage production of purslane, and more nitrogen consumption will be a luxury aspect.

IntroductionToday salinity stress and salinization of soil is one of the most important environmental stress. As the amount of salt increases the plant growth rate decreases. Salinity cause imbalance in soil nutrient content. At this condition we have to use suitable nutrients to achieve appropriate yield. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of salinity and zinc and iron application on yield and some morphological traits and quality of ajowan.
Material and methodsA split plots based on randomized complete block design with three replications was used in Khezri, South Khorasan in 2010. Salinity levels of irrigation water (970, 3500 and 7700 µs.cm-1) andfoliar application of micronutrients (control, Fe, Zn and Fe Zn) were as main plot and sub plot, respectively. Each plot consisted six rows. The length of rows was 4 m. Distance between rows and plants on the rows was 40 and 20 cm, respectively. Data analysis was conducted by MSTATC and SPSS software and means were compared by Duncan’s multiple range tests at 5 % probability level.
Result and DiscussionSeed yield significantly affected by salt stress and its interaction with foliar application treatment. The highest (258.11 g.m-2) and the lowest (171.56 g.m-2) seed yield respectively was related to treatments low salinity iron and high salinity (iron츩). In high salinity conditions, which showed a significant reduction in seed yield than low and common salinity, there was no significant difference between the levels of foliar application with control. In fact, iron foliar application in low salinity (control) significantly increased seed yield, but iron zinc spray application did not significantly change seed yield in comparison with control (without foliar application). On the other hand, in common salinity stress, foliar application treatments did not increase the yield, but in high salinity, the treatments increased seed yield.
In low salt stress conditions foliar application of iron increased significantly seed yield, however foliar application of iron츩 could not affect seed yield. On the other hand, in the common salt stress conditions, foliar application treatments could not increase seed yield, but under severe salt stress these treatments enhanced the yield. In general, under low, common and high salinity stress, the highest seed yield respectively was related to foliar application treatments iron, control and zinc. Seed yield reduction under salinity stress is related to its impact on shoot growth. In this experiment seed yield reduction was related to the decline of umbel number per plant. Correlation coefficient between seed yield and umbel number per plant also was positively significant. Like seed yield, salinity stress reduced different growth parameters such as plant height and branch number per plant. Effect of foliar application on seed essential oil percent and yield was not significant. However, in sever salinity stress, like seed yield, essential oil yield also declined. Although in high and common salt stress, foliar application had not any significant effect on essential oil yield, but under low salt stress, iron foliar application significantly increased essential oil yield. The results of this experiment show that the response of plant height and branch number per plant to irrigation treatments are opposite to each other. Considering that in all foliar application treatments, plant height increased, it can be concluded that the stimulus effect of these treatments on stem longitudinal growth causes the competition of the main stem with lateral branches. Therefore the number of branch per plant in iron and zinc foliar application treatments has declined. It has been reported that zinc deficiency can reduce plant height and yield due to adverse effects on biosynthesis of auxin.
ConclusionTotally, the results of this experiment showed that, due to the significant interaction between salinity and foliar application, microelements should be used with care and after further studies in this plant. Possibly, some plant responses to foliar application and salinity interactions can be related to the presence of different compounds in water used in salinity treatments. Also, the lack of response of some growth parameters such as yield and plant height to the foliar application can be due to complicated plant nutrition relationships with soil conditions such as pH and other soil nutrient concentrations.

Water stress and soil nutrients affect the growth of medicinal herbs as well as the quantity and quality of their essential oils. The effect of drought stress and different fertilizers on yield and morphological traits of Ajowan was studied in a split-plot experiment on the basis of a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications in Qaen, Iran. The main plot was devoted to irrigation at three levels (full or weekly irrigation in the whole period of growth-C, weekly irrigation until the beginning of stem elongation and after that every other week irrigation-S1 and weekly irrigation until the beginning of flowering and after that every other week irrigation-S2). The sub-plot was devoted to fertilization at five levels (control, NPK chemical fertilizer, Nitroxin biofertilizers֪ 2, organic fertilizer, and cattle manure). It was found that irrigation significantly affected seed yield, branch number per plant, umbel number per plant, umbellet number per umbel, seed number per umbellet and plant height. Seed yield was reduced by 37. 8% under the treatment of S1 as compared to full irrigation. The influence of fertilization treatments was significant on seed yield, umbellet number per umbel, seed number per umbellet and plant height. The treatment of chemical fertilizer resulted in the highest seed yield. In total, full irrigation accompanied with the treatment of chemical fertilizer produced the maximum seed yield. However, since chemical fertilizers are not recommended to be applied especially for medicinal herbs, it can be recommended to use biofertilizer (Nitroxin֪ 2) given the fact that its yield had no significant difference with that of chemical fertilizer.

IntroductionIran with mean annual precipitation of 240 mm is categorized in arid and semi-arid zones of the world. High evapotranspiration and limitation of water resources are important environmental parameters that caused reduction of the plants yield in Iran. Also nitrogen deficiency affects the partitioning of assimilates among vegetative and reproductive organs and can influence the growth and yield of the plants. Therefore, given the importance and different roles of water and nitrogen in vital processes of the plants, the objective of the present research was to study the effect of irrigation interval and N fertilizer application on morphological traits, yield and yield components of millet in Birjand, Iran.
Materials and MethodsThis research was conducted as split-plots based on a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications, at Agricultural Research Center of Birjand branch, Islamic Azad University in 2009. The main plots included irrigation interval at three levels (7, 14 and 21 days) and the sub-plots were N fertilizer application at five levels (control or 0 kg N. ha-1, 50 kg N. ha-1, 50 kg N. ha-1 foliar application, 100 kg N. ha-1 and 100 kg N. ha-1 foliar application kg N. ha-1). The texture of the soil in research farm was loam with the pH of 8, electrical conductivity of 4.49 mmhos cm-1 whose organic carbon, total N, P, and K content was 0.32%, 0.08%, 16.4 ppm and 501 ppm at the depth of 0-30 cm, respectively. In the end, all data were analyzed by MSTAT-C statistical software and means were compared by Duncan Multiple Range Test at 5% level.
Results and DiscussionThe results of analysis of variance indicated that the effect of irrigation interval on plant height, panicle number per m2, 1000-seed weight, seed yield and biological yield were significant. Also, plant height, flag leaf area, panicle number per m2 and seed yield were significantly affected by nitrogen levels. Interaction of irrigation interval and N fertilizer only significantly affected1000-seed weight. Means comparison indicated that the increase in irrigation interval from 7 to 21 days decreased plant height, flag leaf area, panicle number per m2, 1000-seed weight, seed yield and biological yield, 36.8, 33.6, 32.9, 18.5, 44.4 and 40.1 percent respectively. Also, 50 kg N. ha-1 foliar application treatment increased plant height, flag leaf area, panicle number per m2 and seed yield, 20.4, 21.9, 47.8 and 52.3 percent, respectively as comparison with non-nitrogen application treatment. It is seems that water deficit stress, due to its effect on photosynthesis, respiration, ionic absorption, nutrients and hormones metabolism processes reduced the growth of stem and leaf cells and decreased leaf area and led to a decrease in flowering and grain filling period which finally caused reduction of yield and yield components. Probably, the decrease in leaf area is a response to stress for adapting water deficit conditions and survival through decreasing transpiring area of the plant. Moreover, with the increase in N application, plant photosynthesizing area and assimilate production increased and therefore seed yield increased.
ConclusionsIn total, the results of the current study indicated that water and nitrogen deficiency significantly decreased millet economical yield mainly by decreasing panicle number per m2. Finally, results of research showed that treatment of 7 days irrigation interval and 50 kg N. ha-1 foliar application recommended for the cultivation of millet in Birjand region for production maximum of millet seed.