protein

In order to investigate the effect of plant density and harvesting time on grain yield, protein and the rate of seed loss of different types of fodder vetch under rainfed conditions, an experiment was conducted in two different climatic locations in the rainfed lands of Dehgolan and Sanandaj cities in Kurdistan province in 2023-2024. The experiment was carried out in the form of split- split plots in the form of a basic design of randomized complete blocks in three replications. The main factor included three harvest times of 5 days apart and the secondary factor included two density levels of 70 and 80 kg/ha. Also, the sub-sub-factor including three vetch species vicia pannonica, vicia villosa and vicia sativa was considered. The results showed that the plant height increased with the increase of plant density. Also, among the compared species, villosa had the maximum plant height. The interaction effect of plant and species density also showed that the maximum plant height was observed in the density of 80 kg/ha and villosa species. In this experiment, grain yield increased with increasing plant density. Also, among the compared species, pannonica had the highest seed yield, and the seed yield in Sanandaj region had a significant increase compared to Dehgolan region. The interaction effect of place in species also showed that the highest seed yield was observed in pannonica species in Sanandaj region and the interaction effect of species in density showed that pannonica species produced more seed yield at a density of 80 kg/ha. In this experiment, with a delay in harvesting, the rate of seed loss increased. Although statistically no significant difference was observed between vetch species, pannonica species had the lowest percentage of seed loss. The maximum amount of seed protein was also observed in villosa species, which had a significant difference with other species.

Apocarotenoid compounds cause various communication functions in plants. Apocarotenoids are the result of enzymatic cleavage of carotenoids catalyzed by carotenoid dioxygenases (CCD). The CCD4 family is the largest family of plant CCDs. In this research, genomic DNA was extracted from fresh leaves of wild saffron Crocus haussknechtii BOISS and used as a template for amplification of CCD4a and CCD4b genes in PCR reaction. PCR products were sequenced after purification. Then, the gene sequence was compared with the saffron gene available in the gene bank and a phylogenetic tree related to their sequence was drawn. In addition, the amino acids of proteins were compared and the spatial structure of the protein of these two genes was drawn. The results showed that the number of nucleotides in CCD4a gene is equal to 2402 and in CCD4b gene is 2373 kb. The dendrogram related to the sequence of CCD4a gene showed that the species were divided into 5 separate groups based on the similarity in the sequence of nucleic acids, and the highest similarity was related to the CCD4a gene of Iranian agricultural saffron with a rate of 99.82. In addition, the dendrogram diagram for the CCD4b gene was divided into three groups, with the lowest distance between this gene and the genes of saffron species. By defining the exon regions, the protein sequence of CCD4a and CCD4b genes was determined, and their number of amino acids was equal to 577 and 567, respectively. The findings of this research can provide valuable information regarding the behavior and reaction of CCD4a and CCD4b enzymes in the synthesis of C. haussknechtii apocarotenoids and can be used in gene transfer programs from wild saffron to saffron be a useful crop.

The production of oilseeds is very important in the economy of every country, because the consumption of oil in the world has an upward trend, so that it is predicted that by 2030, the global need for edible oil will reach one billion kilograms. Sesame, as an annual oilseed plant, is widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Although sesame is more drought tolerant than other oilseeds, its production is affected by high levels of drought stress. In general, the results of various researches show that sesame reacts to water stress and its sensitivity to drought stress should be evaluated accurately. Since the effects of deficit irrigation during the sesame flowering stage have not been well investigated, in the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of drought stress on sesame production, and the possible effects of humic acid and silicon foliar application in reducing the negative effects of drought stress.

The experiment was conducted as split factorial based on RCBD with three replications. The experiment factors were irrigation (I1: full irrigation and I2: irrigation interrupting at flowering stage) in main plot and humic acid and silicon as sub plot. Three levels of humic acid (0.0, 3.0 and 6.0 kg ha-1) and silicon (0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 mM) were employed. At maturity, grain yield and related traits including, capsule number per plant, grain number per capsule, 1000-grain weight, plant height, biological yield, harvest index, oil yield and protein yield were measured. To measure oil yield, seed oil percentage was first measured (using Soxhlet apparatus) and then the indices of seed oil percentage and seed yield were used. Seed protein percentage was also measured using Kjeldahl apparatus.

Under irrigation interrupting at flowering stage, water consumption decreased by 36% and seed protein increased by 10%. Water deficit stress decreased the number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, plant height, 1000-grain weight and grain oil by 12.5, 32, 26, 9 and 7%, respectively. The highest number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, plant height, biological yield, oil percentage and seed protein percentage were recorded in the foliar application of 6 kg -1 of humic acid, which were 20%, 52%, 64%, 18%, 4% and 11% more than that of no humic acid application treatment, respectively. Similar results were recorded for the consumption of 2 mM silicon where silicon foliar application led to the improvement of indicators related to the yield and quality of sesame seeds. The highest number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, plant height, harvest index, oil percentage and seed protein percentage were obtained with the consumption of 2 mM silicon, which is 21, 26, 38, 6, 4 and 13% more than the treatment which did not use silicone. The use of 6 kg -1 of humic acid and 2 mM silicon increased the yield of oil and protein by 60 and 82%, respectively. The highest water productivity of sesame water (0.756 kg m-3) was obtained in the treatment of interruption of irrigation and consumption of 6 kg -1 of humic acid and 2 mM silicon. Finally, it can be stated that the consumption of two 6 kg -1 of humic acid and 2 mM silicon can reduce the effects of water shortage stress on sesame.

In this study, applying limited irrigation reduced the production of sesame seeds and oil (by 25 and 30%, respectively). However, since in the drought stress treatment, water consumption was lower than in full irrigation, the water productivity for seed production increased by 58% in the treatment of interruption of irrigation. Humic acid and silicon increased the tolerance of sesame to drought and improved seed yield and related traits. According to the fact that in the present study, the interruption of irrigation was necessarily applied in the flowering stage based on the conditions of the region, it is necessary to investigate the effects of interruption of irrigation in the vegetative growth stages in order to support the idea that probably the interruption of irrigation in the vegetative growth stage increases water productivity in sesame without serious impact on seed yield, gave a more accurate answer.

To investigate the quantitative and qualitative traits of bitter vetch, grass pea, and wheat intercropped under different tillage systems, a split-plot field experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The field trials were performed at the research farm of Ilam University in the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. The tillage systems (no-tillage, minimum tillage, and conventional tillage) were assigned to main plots and the planting pattern at six levels (monoculture of wheat with weeds, monoculture of wheat without weeds, intercropping of 100% wheat+ 50% bitter vetch, 100% wheat+ 50% grass pea and monoculture of bitter vetch and grass pea) were assigned to sub-plots. The results showed that the highest wheat grain yield was obtained in wheat monoculture without weeds under minimum tillage (8.78 t ha-1) and the highest forage yield of bitter vetch (7.80 t ha-1) was observed in monoculture of bitter vetch under minimum tillage condition. The highest forage yield (4.08 and 3.98 t ha-1) of grass pea was observed in both minimum tillage and conventional tillage systems, respectively. Intercropping patterns increased wheat grain protein concentration by 9.12%. Monoculture of legumes, compared to intercropping, led to improvement in forage quality by increasing protein, phosphorus, and calcium concentrations, and decreasing of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. The land equality ratio was more than one in all intercropping patterns of wheat and legumes indicating the advantage of intercropping patterns over monoculture for land use and increased crop yield. In conclusion, the intercropping of wheat with bitter vetch under a minimum tillage system can be considered an appropriate environmentally-friendly approach for crop yield improvement.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the first grain in the world in terms of its importance and amount of production. The aim of this research is to find the genetic diversity among the spring wheat genotypes for use in crop breeding programs.

For this purpose, the genetic diversity of 32 spring wheat genotypes cultivated in the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in the crop year of 1401-1400 was investigated by measuring 12 kernel and flour quality traits.

The results of analysis of principal components illustrated that the first five components explained a total of 89.05 percent of the variation among traits. The cluster analysis divided the studied genotypes into four groups. Based on the obtained results, the cultivars in the first group, all of which were Iranian, had the highest values of grain gluten, flour gluten and flour protein. The second group, which included the genotypes of Iraq, had the highest values in terms of grain moisture and index, and the lowest values in terms of flour protein, falling number, and hectoliter.

The studied spring wheat cultivars showed high genetic diversity in terms of traits. Therefore, suitable parents can be selected based on the desired trait, for crossing between cultivars in future breeding programs.

Germination and seedling growth are one of the most important stages of plant growth, which determine the degree of success of agricultural systems in production. Seed deterioration due to storage conditions is a challenge that results in diminished germinability poor seedling establishment, the loss of seed vigor, and finally seed mortality. Thus, it is necessary to use methods to increase seed germinability and enhance seedling establishment. The use of plant hormones is one of the methods that can increase seed germinability and optimal plant growth under seed deterioration conditions. Seed priming with plant hormones is among simple and cheap methods to improve seed germination, accelerate seedling growth and establishment, germination uniformity, and production of vigorous seedlings. The purpose of this experiment is to determine the most effective pretreatments of growth hormones to improve the germination and seedling establishment characteristics of deteriorated triticale seeds.

To examine the effect of priming on germination indices and some biochemical traits of deteriorated triticale seeds, a factorial experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with three replications at the Laboratory of Seed Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili in 2023. Treatments included seed deterioration (5%, 15%, and 25%) and priming (no prime, distilled water, cytokinin, spermidine, salicylic acid, and auxin).

The results showed that seed deterioration reduced the germination percentage. Priming reduced the effect of seed deterioration and improved the germination percentage by 36.9%. As seed deterioration increased, radicle length, seedling length, vigor index, protein content, and protease activity decreased, whereas priming mitigated the effect of seed deterioration on these traits. At the lowest level of seed deterioration (25%), priming with auxin increased radicle length, plumule length, protease activity, and seedling length vigor index by 72.07, 62.06, 73.27, and 77.06, respectively, compared with no priming.

In general, it seems that triticale seed priming with auxin can invigorate deteriorated seeds and increase germination and seedling production uniformity.

In order to investigate the effect of nitrogen and zinc sulfate fertilizers on the quantitative and qualitative yield of forage maize under low irrigation stress, this experiment was conducted as a split-factorial randomized complete block design with 4 replications in Ilam province during the two crop years of 2019 and 2020 was implemented. Three levels of irrigation including full irrigation (control or 90% of field capacity), irrigation based on 75% of field capacity (25% soil moisture discharge) and irrigation based on 50% of field capacity (50% soil moisture discharge) in the main plots Done. Factorial wetting of three levels of nitrogen from urea source, including zero (control), 150 and 300 kg ha-1 urea fertilizer; and foliar application of zinc sulfate at 3 levels of 0, 2 and 4 per thousand as the second factor in random was randomized. The results of combined analysis of variance showed that the interaction of year deficit irrigation stress×foliar application of zinc sulfate and the interaction of year deficit irrigation stress×nitrogen on total fresh yield were significant. The interaction of year deficit irrigation stress, year. Nitrogen fertilizer, year and foliar application of zinc sulfate, low irrigation stress×foliar application of zinc sulfate and the interaction of low irrigation stress×nitrogen fertilizer on the concentration of digestible dry matter were significant. Wet forage yield in full irrigation and consumption of 150 kg urea per hectare was 77728 kg.ha-1. Wet forage yield was obtained in complete irrigation treatment and consumption of 4 per thousand zinc sulfate in the amount of 78163 kg.ha-1. At irrigation levels based on the presence of 75% and 50% of field capacity, consumption of 4 per thousand zinc sulfate increased this index, so that in the mentioned treatments wet yield was obtained at 67460 and 49855 kg.ha-1, respectively. Irrigation treatment based on 50% of field capacity, application of 300 kg of urea fertilizer and 2 per thousand zinc sulfate resulted in grain protein content of 8.6%. Due to the lack of significant differences between treatments 2 and 4 per thousand zinc sulfate in different levels of nitrogen fertilizer, so the use of 300 kg of urea fertilizer per hectare and 2 per thousand zinc sulfate has good performance and economic justification and as the superior compound was selected to counteract the harmful effects of dehydration.

Hairy vetch a plant that can be used in different ways, such as fodder, silage, grazing, and green manure and its seeds can be used to feed poultry. Like other legume family plants, vetch can improve and strengthen the soil and fix nitrogen. Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient to virtually all forms of life. Although Fe is the second most abundant metal element in earth’s crust its low solubility and high fixation in soil reduce its bioavailability to the plant roots. Fe plays a major role in redox reactions in metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, and nitrogen assimilation besides being involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll and hormones, Drought stress is the most common environmental stress that reduces crop production, and low soil moisture leads to the lack of low consumption elements, especially iron and zinc elements in plants, So With the aim of investigating the effect of foliar application of different sources of iron fertilizer on fodder characteristics of vetch, this research was conducted.

The research was conducted in the agricultural research farm of the Agricultural Jihad Organization in Baneh city in Kurdistan province, at 2021 crop season. The experimental design was implemented as a split plot where different levels of irrigation include no irrigation (rainfed conditions), one irrigation and two irrigations in the main plots, and foliar spraying of different sources of iron fertilizer including, control (spraying solution with water), iron chelate (Fe-EDTA), iron nanochelate (Khizra) and non-chelated source of iron sulfate were placed in sub-plots in three replicates. In the study chlorophyll index, plant height, fresh forage yield, dry fodder yield, Fodder protein percentage, digestibility percentage, ADF, NDF, soluble carbohydrates, crude fiber and ash percent of fodder were measured.

The results showed that the main effect of irrigation and foliar spraying on all investigated traits was significant. Results revealed that the interaction effect of irrigation with iron fertilizer foliar application on chlorophyll index, plant height, digestibility percentage, cell wall NDF, fiber percentage, and ash percentage was a significant, In our study dry conditions, compared to the treatment of two times of irrigation, decreased the wet fodder yield and dry fodder yield and the protein content of fodder by 71.65, 50.16, and 58.58%, respectively, and increased the insoluble fibers in the acidic cell (ADF) by 48.15%. Also, under iron nano chelate treatment of fresh and dry fodder yield, the protein content of the fodder and the content of soluble carbohydrates increased by 84.35, 40.19, 22.90 and 64.08, respectively, and the insoluble fibers in the neutral cell wall (NDF) decreased by 11.60%. Among the interaction treatments of irrigation with the iron foliar application, the highest chlorophyll content (133.45 and 131.04 mg/g fresh weight respectively), plant height (23.81 and 23.43 cm respectively), fodder digestibility percentage (72 42.42 and 77.10% respectively), fiber percentage (37.75 and 40.98 respectively) and fodder ash percentage (19.37 and 21.01% respectively) And the lowest NDF of the cell wall (21.78 and 26.93% respectively) was recorded in the treatment of iron chelate (Fe-EDTA) and iron nano chelate with two times of irrigation. The results of the interaction treatments also showed that iron chelate (Fe-EDTA) under the one-time irrigation treatment could significantly increase the leaf chlorophyll content, the percentage of forage digestibility and the percentage of forage fiber compared to the control treatment.

It can be concluded that foliar application of iron fertilizer from sources of iron chelate (Fe-EDTA) and nano-iron chelate (Khizra) with two times of irrigation to achieve the maximum quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the fodder of the cluster flower is recommended, therefore it can be stated that supplementary irrigation and foliar application of iron fertilizer can be a solution to improve the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of fodder in vetch.

One of the most important problems threatening agriculture is water deficit stress in many regions of the world. Water deficit stress could result in a decrease in yielding or death of a wide range of crops. In Iran, like other arid and semi-arid regions, forage quality and production have decreased due to the occurrence of frequent water stress. Restriction of water resources, especially in arid and semi-arid regions where agricultural systems depend on supplementary irrigation, has become the most important problem of fodder production. Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L.) is a forage legume cultivated in the temperate region of world; it is of great value for livestock feed, soil improvement, and reclaiming disturbed land because of its nitrogen-fixing capability. The purpose of this research, was evaluate the effect of water deficit stress on the physiological and qualitative traits of fodder of Persian clover.

An experiment was carried out during the 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons as a randomized complete block design at the Research Farm of Tarbiat Modares University. Experimental treatments included water deficit stress at four levels. The tested treatments included water deficit stress at four levels (irrigation after reaching the levels of 80, 60, 40 and 20% available moisture). Irrigation of all treatments was carried out at the level of 70% of available water until the start of stress in the final stages of vegetative growth of the second cut. To measure the effects of water deficit stress on physiological traits physiological indexes were recorded during the first 10 days of stress treatment, every day. The clovers were harvested at about 20-25% flowering stage. After drying, they were transferred to the laboratory to determine the quantitative and qualitative feed yield. Based on Bartlett's test results, the experiment's dependent variables had the same trend.

The results show that the irrigation regime had a significant effect on all traits. Irrigation treatments at 80 and 60% of available water had the highest dry matter yield, and delaying irrigation until 40 and 20% caused a 19% and 36% significant decrease in this trait. Also, stress at the level of 20% caused a 27% decrease in fodder protein, a 10% increase in acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber, and finally, an 16% reducing relative feed value. Evaluation of physiological traits in the first ten days of the beginning of water stress showed a continuous increase in leaf temperature from 30.5 to 34 ˚C, and 49, 50, and 15% decrease in photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and SPAD index, respectively. It Also reduces the concentration of chlorophyll a and b 25 and 40 percent. The return of increased leaf temperature and reduced stomatal conductance due to the discharge of 80% moisture was fast to the initial level, but other traits slowly approached the value before the stress. It seems that returning to initial values at levels of 80 and 60 is easily possible for the plant, but with the increase in the intensity of stress, the damage of dehydration is slowly compensated.

The experiment results showed that the photosynthesis rate and other physiological traits of Persian clover significantly react to the soil's decreased available water. In most physiological traits, irrigation after the available soil moisture reached 60% caused a relatively quick return to the initial value. There was no significant difference in fodder yield in the 80% and 60% irrigation treatments. When the available soil moisture reached 40%, the physiological traits showed a greater decrease than before. It seems that some damages to physiological traits are irreparable to such an extent that they eventually lead to a drop in yield or a decrease in the quality of Persian clover fodder. Finally, it is not necessary for clover irrigation at levels of more than 60% of available water, taking into account the more quality of forage in the level of 60% (about 1.5% of insoluble fiber, and 11% feed value), considering the water conditions of the country.

In terms of harvested land area, potato ranks fourth in the world after wheat, corn and rice. In addition to providing energy and good quality protein, it is also considered as a source of vitamin C and minerals. Despite the fact that iron is the fourth most abundant element in the earth's crust, only a small amount of iron can be used by plants in well-ventilated soils. Therefore, iron deficiency is one of the factors limiting the growth and development of plants.
 

This experiment was carried out in a factorial trial in the base of a completely randomized design in three replications in a greenhouse conditions of Agricultural Research Institute of Hamedan (Jorqan) during the crop years of 2017-2018 and 2018-2029. The experimental factors include the weight levels of microtuber at three levels of 3-1, 3-5 and 5-10 grams and different iron fertilizers at seven levels, control, iron chelate in the form of soil consumption at the rate of 20 micromolar, nano iron oxide in the form of soil consumption to The amount of 20 micromolar was 1 and 2% foliar spraying of iron chelate and 1 and 2% nano iron oxide foliar spraying. The internal temperature of the greenhouse was provided by adjusting the air conditioning system and central heating in the range of 18 to 20 °C  at night and 26 to 28 degrees during the day. The humidity of the greenhouse was also 60-65%. At the end of the experiment, after processing the crop, the plants were harvested and the yield and yield components were determined. Leaf greenness index in this experiment using SPAD device (Minolta 502 model) using three fully developed terminal leaves from ten plants in the budding stage in the middle part of the leaf on one side of the main vein, at 9:30 to 10:00 in the morning. It was measured in order to minimize daily changes. To measure the percentage of dry matter, 200 grams of tubers were randomly selected from each treatment, then the tubers were chopped and placed in an oven at a temperature of 75 degrees Celsius, and after their weight was fixed, they were weighed again. Then, based on the ratio of fresh and dry weight of the tubers, the percentage of dry matter of the tubers was determined (Hagman and Martenssen, 2009). 

The results showed that the height of the plant, the number of stems per plant, the number of tubers per plant, the weight of tubers, the weight of tubers per plant, the percentage of dry matter and the greenness index increased with the increase in the weight of microtubers, and the most improvement in the morphological and qualitative characteristics of potato in microtubers. 5-10 grams were observed. With the application of iron chelate and nano iron oxide fertilizers, potato yield and yield components increased. The maximum tuber weight in the plant was shown in the treatments of 20 micromolar nano iron oxide and 2% nano iron oxide. The highest tuber weight in the plant in the 1-3 gram microtuber is 405.23 grams related to the consumption of 20 micromolar nano iron oxide, in the 3-5 gram microtuber is 444.61 grams related to the application of 2% iron chelate solution and in the microtuber 5-10 grams in the amount of 556.92, 544.52, 482.6 and 465.82 grams corresponding to the treatments of 20 micromolar nano iron oxide, foliar spraying of 2% nano iron oxide, foliar spraying of 1% nano iron oxide and solution The application was 2% iron chelate 

Microtuber 5-10 grams was able to acquire the best size of microtuber due to having suitable nutrients and accelerating the greening of plants and increasing photosynthesis and providing nutrients. The application of nano iron oxide fertilizer was more effective in improving the quantitative and qualitative yield of potatoes compared to iron chelate.

In order to evaluate the foliar application of Ca and Zn fertilizers on seed and fatty acids composition of peanut oil (cv. NC2), an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Guilan Province, Rasht, Iran, during 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons.

This experiment was carried out as a split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Four levels of Zn fertilizer sources, including without Zn application (as control), nano-chelated Zn fertilizer, Zn-EDTA, and Zn sulfate were considered as the main plot and four levels of Ca fertilizer sources, including nano-chelated Ca fertilizer, Ca-EDTA, Ca-chloride and, Ca-nitrate were considered as the sub plot.

Foliar application of fertilizers was done before the flowering stage and then repeated with 30-days intervals. The highest seed yield (2790 kg/ha), biological yield (9303 kg/ha), seed oil content (52.3 percent), oil yield (1625 kg/ha), protein yield (673 kg/ha), and oleic unsaturated fatty acid (57.3 percent) was obtained under simultaneous foliar application of Ca and Zn nano-fertilizers and increased the parameters by 29.8, 17.5, 13.4, 38.3, 24.4 and 19.2 percent in comparison to control treatment, respectively.

Application of Zn and Ca nano-chelated fertilizers as foliar sprays improved seed and oil yield of peanut under the local conditions. Hence, the Zn and Ca nano-chelated fertilizers could be recommended to enhance the quantitative and qualitative yield of peanut.

The effect of magnetic and superabsorbent water was investigated on some morphophysiological traits and performance of cumin under a low irrigation regime.

An experiment was conducted in the agricultural year of 1399-1400 in the research fields of the Faculty of Agriculture of Shahrood University of Technology in two districts of Rahnjan and Garman of Shahrood city in a factorial format in the form of a randomized complete block design with three repetitions. Irrigation water type treatment at two levels (normal and magnetic) and locations (Rahanjan, Garman) with different climatic conditions and altitude above sea level as the main factor and superabsorbent treatment at three levels (zero, 100 and 200 kg/ha) as a secondary factor. Was considered. In all treatments, irrigation was applied based on 100% of plant water needs.

The results showed location, type of irrigation and different concentrations of superabsorbent had a positive and significant effect on the growth characteristics. In the Rahnjan region, due to the climatic conditions and higher average annual temperature and the treatment of 100 and 200 kg/ha of superabsorbent and the use of magnetic water, the highest amount of plant height, percentage and yield of essential oil and protein, soluble carbohydrates were observed.

According to the results, most of the traits in the Rahnjan region had higher values than in the German region, and plant cultivation in the Rahnjan region is economical.

Maize cultivation is rapidly expanding in the world due to its high adaptability to different weather conditions, and it is an exceptional product that can be effectively used as feed and forage products to meet the ever-increasing needs of livestock. Low irrigation is an approach to increase water productivity with the view of increasing production per unit of water consumption. The research results show that water stress has a significant effect on the quantity and quality of forage. Lack of water is one of the important factors in reducing the level of corn, so this experiment was conducted in order to check the possibility of saving water consumption by using low irrigation method and choosing the best hybrid in low irrigation conditions.

In order to investigate the effects of low irrigation and different maize hybrids on the quantitative and qualitative traits of maize forage in the Gorgan region, an experiment was conducted in split plots arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the Iraqi station of the Gorgan. Low irrigation was implemented in four levels in the main plots (100, 75, 50% and 25% of water requirement) and subplots in four levels (including hybrids SC703, SC704, ZP548 and BK50). To determine the amount of water consumption three days after each irrigation, the amount of moisture was determined by sampling the soil and immediately after reaching 40 to 60% usable moisture, irrigation was done. Irrigation was done as a drip using tapes, the distance between the nozzles was 20 cm and the amount of water output per nozzle was 2 liters per hour. Harvesting was done from the two middle lines by removing half a meter at the beginning of the row and weighed separately (leaf, stem, cob) in a separate laboratory, and their fresh weight was recorded and then placed in an oven with a temperature of 65 degrees Celsius for 72 hours, Then the dry weight was calculated. The samples of dry forage were sent to the laboratory of Forests and Ranges Organization (Tehran) and the amount of protein, fiber and other quality attributes of forage were measured by infrared spectrometry with PertenInformatic 8620. The data were analyzed using SAS 9.1.3 statistical software and the means were compared with the LSD test at the 5% probability level.

The results of analysis of variance showed that low irrigation effect was significant on all studied traits. Also, the effect of the studied hybrids on all the traits was significant except for insoluble fibers in acidic detergent and water-soluble carbohydrates. Also, the interaction effect of hybrid × low irrigation was significant only on forage yield (Total biomass, ear fresh weight, stem and leaf fresh weight, and total dry weight). The results of means comparison showed that the highest biomass yield was observed in the 100% water demand treatment, which was 7.2, 49, and 79.7% higher than the 75, 50, and 25% irrigation treatments, respectively. However, the highest water consumption efficiency with a significant difference compared to other levels was observed in the treatment of 75% water requirement (5.99 kg m-3). Also, with the increase of irrigation levels, the amount of crude protein, crude fiber, water-soluble carbohydrates and insoluble fibers in the neutral environment increased significantly, and among the studied hybrids, the SC703 hybrid had the highest forage yield (43692.4 kg ha-1).

Considering the shortage and high economic value of water, the reduction in rainfall and the occurrence of successive droughts in recent years, optimum use of water can allocate more land to irrigated cultivation in addition to achieving appropriate and economic performance. The results showed that the lack of water reduces all quantitative traits. Among the studied hybrids, SC703 had the highest forage yield per unit area. On the other hand, low irrigation treatment at the level of 75% of the total water requirement is recommended to achieve the highest water consumption efficiency in Gorgan region.

Different compounds of naphthalene acetic / indole acetic acid and humic acid have an important role in plant growth and development; therefore, an experiment was conducted in Shahid Salemi farm in Ahvaz in 2017-18 and 2018-19. The experiment was performed in a randomized complete block statistical design with split plot-factorial in three replications. Experimental treatments include two hybrids of corn SC 704 and AS71 in the main plot and factorial treatments of hormone mixing ratio in three levels of control (without mixing), mixing naphthalene acetic / indole acetic acid in the ratio of 100/200 and 200/400 mg/kg and humic acid at three levels of control (without use), 500 and 1000 g/ha were compared in subplots. The results show that the application of 500 and 1000 g/ha of humic acid had a significant effect on all studied traits. The lowest amount was obtained in the control treatment or no consumption of humic acid. There was no significant difference between the consumption of 500 and 1000 g/ha of humic acid in all studied traits except grain yield, harvest index, and catalase enzyme. The highest grain yield in SC704 hybrids was observed in mixing ratios of 7391 and 7291 kg/ha, respectively. Also, the grain yield in AS71 hybrid in the mixing ratio of 200/400 mg of naphthalene acetic/indole acetic acid was not significantly different. The lowest grain yield was observed in AS 71 hybrid in control treatment at 5945 kg/ha. According to the results of this study, the use of hormones and humic acid can positively affect increasing the yield and morphological traits of corn. Seed yield was increased by improving plant growth, which can be attributed to the effect and role of hormones and the use of humic acid.

In order to investigate the effect of irrigation intervals, 15 selected Okra genotypes from the National Gene Bank of Iran were cultivated and evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the 2020-2021 crop year in the experimental research farm of the Seedling and Seed Breeding Research Institute in Karaj (Seed and Plant Improvement Institute).

After the plants entered the three-leaf stage, irrigation was done once every 5 and 10 days.

The results of the analysis of variance showed that the effect of drought stress on all measured traits, including plant height, fruit yield, biological yield, number of ripe fruits, weight of ripe fruit, diameter of ripe fruit, number of seeds per ripe fruit, 1000-seed weight, sugar, and protein content, was statistically significant. Under drought-stress conditions, the mean of all evaluated traits (except soluble sugars) was reduced. The highest fruit yield (12.06 tons per hectare) belonged to genotype 10, which decreased by 37.5% compared to the non-stress conditions of this genotype. Genotypes 1 and 12 had the least change in protein content, genotypes 4 and 6 had the least change in sugar content, and genotypes 9 and 11 had the least change in biological function.

Based on the results obtained from this experiment, the best genotype in terms of fruit yield was genotype 10, and in terms of biological function, genotypes 9 and 11 were recommended for use in areas with water shortages.

Seed pretreatment is one of the simple techniques that can increase seed vigor and seedling establishment, and thus plant yield. Seed pretreatment can be done with water (hydropriming), inorganic salts such as potassium nitrate (halopriming), and growth regulators such as salicylic acid (hormone priming) and ascorbic acid (vitamin priming). Another effective factor in producing strong seeds is proper nutrition of the mother plants. Proper nutrition of the maternal plant in the form of foliar sprays with essential elements leads to the production of high-quality seeds, which affects germination and yield. Considering the positive role of seed pretreatment in improving germination rate and seedling establishment, and increasing seed yield of various plants as a result of foliar application of growth regulators and inorganic salts, this experiment was conducted to study the effect of seed pretreatment and foliar spraying with salicylic acid, ascorbic acid and potassium nitrate on improving physiological and biochemical characteristics, yield and yield components of borage.

The experiment was conducted in 2017-2018 cropping year as a randomized complete block design with three replicates at Samian Ardabil Natural Resources and Medicinal Plants Research Farm. The experimental treatments were water pretreatment for 48 hours, seed pretreatment with ascorbic acid (0.85 mM) for 48 hours, seed pretreatment combined with foliar spray with ascorbic acid (0.85 mM), seed pretreatment with salicylic acid (4 mM) for 60 hours, seed pretreatment combined with foliar spray with salicylic acid (4 mM), seed pretreatment with potassium nitrate (20 mM) for 24 hours, seed pretreatment combined with foliar spray with potassium nitrate (20 mM), and control treatment (without seed pretreatment and without foliar spray of the maternal plant). Statistical analyses were performed using SAS software (Ver 9.1) and comparison of means was performed using the Duncan multiple range test at the 1 and 5 percent probability level.

The results showed that although pretreatment of seeds by improving growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics cause increased yield and yield components of borage but, seed pretreatment combined with foliar sprays had a greater effect on increasing yield components and flower and grain yield due to synergistic effects. The use of potassium nitrate as a seed pretreatment in combination with foliar sprays had the greatest effect on increasing the amount of photosynthetic pigments, caused a 2.3-fold increase in total chlorophyll and a 1.8-fold increase in carotenoids compared to the control treatment. The use of ascorbic acid as a seed pretreatment in combination with foliar sprays increased the amount of proline a 2.3 fold, leaf protein a 2.5 fold, and flower yield a 3.8 fold compared to the control treatment. Application of salicylic acid as a seed pretreatment in combination with foliar sprays by increasing the components of seed yield had the greatest effect in increasing grain yield and caused a 3.4-fold increase in grain yield compared to the control. Seed hydropriming showed the highest seed weight among the treatments with a 28% increase in 1,000-seed weight compared to the control treatment.

The results of this study indicate that both seed pretreatment and foliar sprays of maternal plants with growth regulators and chemical stimulants led to an increase in flower and grain yield in borage. This increase was achieved by enhancing the levels of photosynthetic pigments, the quantum efficiency of photosystem II, the accumulation of amino acids like proline, and soluble proteins in the leaves. These treatments also had a positive impact on various yield components. While seed pretreatment alone had a positive effect on borage yield and its components by improving the plant's growth, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, the combined use of ascorbic acid, salicylic acid, and potassium nitrate as seed pretreatment, along with foliar spray, had an even more pronounced positive effect. This was likely due to synergistic effects on the plant's physiological, biochemical, and yield traits.