مجله علوم و فنون باغبانی ایران
سال بیست و یکم شماره 1 (بهار 1399)

In order to reduce vegetative growth and increase the quality of strawberry fruits a research was carried out using paclobutrazole and calcium prohexadione on cultivar Paros. In this study calcium prohexadione at three concentrations (0, 100 and 150 mg L-1) and paclobutrazole at four concentrations (0, 60, 90 and 120 mg L-1) in two stages (four and seven weeks after planting) were sprayed. The results showed that the effects of paclobutrazole, calcium-prohexadione, and their interaction significantly increased the photosynthesis rate, chlorophyll content, leaf carotenoids, yield, and fruit anthocyanins. The effect of paclobutrazole at 5% probability level and calcium prohexadione at 1% probability level increased significant in the photosynthetic efficiency. Calcium prohexadione and its interaction with paclobutrazole at 1% probability level increased significant in the firmness of the fruit tissue and significantly decreased in the titratable acidity. Soluble solids were not affected by these retardants. Using from calcium prohexadione alone at 5% probability level increased significantly in the vitamin C. Generally, the physiological characteristics of the plant were increased by the use of both growth retardants, while the qualitative factors were more affected by calcium prohexadione.

Some of grape cultivars have the cross-pollinated flowers. Therefore, for high fruit set in cross-pollinated varieties, there are need suitable pollinizers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pollen of Fakhri, Sahebi and Shahani cultivars on fruit set, quantitative and qualitative fruit traits of Shahani and Laal cultivars in controlled pollination conditions in vineyard. Therefore, 1508 pistils in 3 clusters of Shahani and 6 clusters of Laal cultivar were emasculated and then pollinated with above mentioned pollen sources. Experiment was carried out based on completely randomized design (CRD) with three combinations cross including Fakhri (♂) ×Shahani (♀), Shahani (♂) × Laal (♀) and Sahebi (♂) × Laal (♀) cultivars as treatments with three replications. The results of cross pollination showed that the highest percentage of fruit set was related to crossing of Fakhri (♂) × Shahani (♀) cultivars with 33.79% fruit set. In addition, in the cross between the seed parents of Laal and by pollen of Sahebi and Shahani cultivars, a high percentage of fruit formation was observed with 21.6% and 18.66%, respectively. Crossing of Fakhri (♂) × Shahani (♀) cultivars with the highest percentage of fruit set, bunch and berry size, TSS, TA, anthocyanin, berry firmness, easy of detachment from pedicle and thickness of berry skin was more favorable than other crosses.

In the present research, phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of seven Nepeta species (Nepeta teucriifolia subsp. teucriifolia, N. assurgens, N. glomerulosa, N. cataria, N. binaloudensis, Na. racemosa var. crassifolia) from field cultivated plant (Research garden of Agricultural Faculty of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad) in a completely randomized design with 3 replications were investigated. Total iridoid, flavonoid content (FC), total phenol (TP) content and antioxidant capacities (AC), were determined using spectrophotometer. The essential oils, were analyzed by GC/MS. The TP content ranged from 186.47 to 464.25 mg of gallic acid equivalents (mg (GAE) 100 g-1 DW). The highest and the lowest amount of FC with values of 43.08 and 142.20 (mg quercetin equivalents 100 g-1 DW) for N. glomerulosa and N. teucriifolia subsp. teucriifolia respectively. The AC values of the species ranged from from 117 to 287.33 μg mg-1 DW extract (by DPPH method) and from 66.678 to 81.096 Mm Fe (by FRAP method) respectively. The highest and lowest amount of essential oil percent (v/w) was obtained in N. assurgens (0.74) and in N. fissa (0.06), respectively. Depending on the result of this research, on the basis of main compound identified in the essential oils, Nepeta species have been divided in to three groups. First group species like; N. teucriifolia subsp. teucriifolia and N. glomerulosa which contain Caryophyllene oxide and Humulene as their main compounds. The species of the second group contain Nepetalactone isomers and 1.8-cineole as their key compounds. These species including N. binaloudensis and N. assurgens species. The species of the last group contain Nepetalactone as their key compounds; this species including; N. cataria, N. kotschyi, N. racemosa var. crassifolia.

In order to study the effect of aqueous extract and essential oil of six plant species belong to Lamiaceae and Apiaceae family on controlling some important pests and qualitative characteristics of melon fruit (Khatuni cultivar), an experiment was conducted at the Boshruyeh region (Geographical coordinates: longitude 57°27' E and latitude 33°53' N) during the cropping season 2016-17.  The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with 20 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments consist of (chemical control, No-applied aqueous extract and essential oil, aqueous extract of Asafetida-Ferula 8, 10 and 12%, essence of Rosemary, Lavender, Peppermint, Fennel and Cumin 2, 2.5 and 3%. The results showed that the effect of treatment on White flies, Alfalfa weevils. Mite and healthy and damaged fruits was significant. Comparison of mean values revealed ineffectiveness of aqueous extract and essential oil on the population of whitefly, but the effects of 12% aqueous extract of Asafetida-Ferula on Alfalfa weevils population, and 3% concentrations of rosemary and black cumin on the mite population were significant. But, these treatments had not significant different with chemical control. The highest number of healthy fruits and the lowest number of damaged fruits were observed in treatments with 12% aqueous extract of Asafietida-Ferula and 3% essential oil of black cumin and peppermint.

Sour cherry is one of the most important stone fruits of Rosaceae family. Iran ranked 3th to 6th among the main sour cherry producer countries in the world. Most of the sour cherry cultivars are self-compatible but self-incompatible cases have been reported currently. Allotetraploidy of sour cherry complicates the self-incompatibly segregation in the progeny and because of this trait less studies have been accomplished specially in Iran. In the present study, pollen-pistil compatibility relationships among some sour cherry cultivars and selected genotypes were investigated by controlled pollination and pollen tube penetration by fluorescence microscopy. Three self-incompatible cultivars (S.I. 209, S.I.301 and E.J.175 as the pollinated parents) and genotypes (K110, T145, T140, K202, M171 and M150 as the pollinizers) were selected. After controlled pollination fruit set was studied and the pollen tubes growth along the style was studied using fluorescent microscope. Results showed that cross-incompatibility was not observed among the studied cultivars and genotypes. Therefore, they could be used in the breeding programs and orchards establishment based on their synchronized blooming time.

In the present research, different morphological and physiological traits of fruit were measured in order to evaluate the variation and morpho-physiological traits in 10 Iranian tomato landraces. The landraces were collected from Varamin, Rafsanjan, Rasht, Esfarayen, Gorgan (2 landraces), Khanbebin (2 landraces), Kermanshah and Kordestan. Based on the results, the wide range of variation confirms the existence of high diversity among tomato landraces. A significantly positive correlation was recorded between length and diameter of fruit and lycopene content with fruit weight and anthocyanin. Fruit anthocyanin and lycopene were positively and significantly correlated with glucose, fructose and total glucose at 1% probability level. This indicates that increasing in sugars synthesis increases the biosynthesis of anthocyanin. The results of cluster analysis for categorizing similar landraces showed the highest similarity between Gorgan1 and Kermanshah, followed by  cluster 6 and cluster 8, respectively. In this cluster, the landraces of Khanbebin1 and Esfarayen were more similar to Rasht, Gorgan1 and Kermanshah. Overall, the results of this experiment show a high diversity among landraces that can be used in tomato breeding programs.

Boron deficiency can be a limiting factor for flowers and fruits formation in some olive orchards. The appropriate time of boron foliar application in different areas and cultivars needs more investigations. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of spraying with an optimum concentration of boron (350 mg/l) at different phenological stages: after fruit harvest in autumn (first stage), the onset of flower bud formation in winter (second stage), during anthesis in spring (third stage), alone or in combination, on flowering  and fruit formation in three olive cultivars (Bella di, Mission and Koroneiki). The characteristics such as inflorescences number, total flowers number, complete and incomplete flowers percent, final fruit-set, percentage of pollen germination, and leaf and inflorescence boron content were evaluated. Boron spraying increased the percentage of pollen germination in all three cultivars compared to control. Spraying  in first stage and in combination of the first and the second stages increased the total number of flowers and inflorescences in Koroneiki and in combination of all three stages increased these characteristics in Mission. Bella di with spraying in second stage and in combination of second and third stages, and Koroneiki in third stage had the highest percent of complete flowers. The highest percent of fruit-set was observed in combination of the first and the third stages, and in combination of the second and the third stages in Koroneiki and then in combination of all three stages in Mission. Spraying in combination of the second and the third stages increased leaf and inflorescence boron contend in all three cultivars.

In hydroponic systems, if fertigation is not managed properly, quantitative and qualitative properties of the plant will be affected. In order to investigate post-harvest quality of strawberry fruit in response to the frequency of fertigation and foliar application with potassium sulfate, an experiment was performed with two factors including the number of times per day at three levels (once, four and ten times) and foliar application at three levels (control, 1 and 2 g L-1) in a completely randomized design with three replications at Vali-e-Asr University in Rafsanjan. The results showed that the amount of soluble solids of the fruit and pH of the fruit juice increased during storage. The total acid, vitamin C, firmness, phenolic compounds and anthocyanin of the fruit reduced during storage. At the end of storage period, the highest amount of soluble solids, total acid, antioxidant capacity and total phenol of the fruit was observed in once fertigation treatment and with increasing fertigation times up to four times a day, the amount of vitamin C, firmness and anthocyanin of the fruit increased. The fruit color and sepal hue indicators reduced and sepal L*and chroma increased. Both potassium sulfate treatments resulted in better shelf life of strawberry fruit than the control.