Journal of Research on Crop Ecophysiology
Volume:12 Issue: 2, Spring 2017

An appropriate sustainable agricultural technology system is an important technical support of the promotion of sustainable agricultural development. Properly management of residues can warrant the improvement of sustainability in crop productivity. The research was conducted in 2011 at Experimental Field of Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran. A strip layout randomized complete block design with three replications was used. The experiment was related to the effects of green manures of barley, rye, triticale and clover ,two levels of farm yard manure, namely, 30 and 60 t/ha and one treatment of chemical fertilizer as a control treatment were arranged in main strip and decomposition time of manures in two levels, one and four weeks after returning. Cover crop had significant influence on stem diameter, ear height, final plant height, leaf and stem fresh weights, stem and ear dry weights, fresh forage yield, nitrate leaf and protein content. Moreover, fresh forage yield, biological yield, of leaf nitrate, nitrate of stem, protein and ash were influenced by different managements. The highest plant height, leaf, stem fresh weight, ear and, stem and ear dry weight were related barley green manure treatment. The maximum stem diameter, plant height, ear fresh weight, leaf, stem and ear dry weights were obtained in the treatment of four weeks fo residue retention. The highest biological yield and fiber percentage of forage corn were observed in the treatment of residue retention for four weeks and crop residue incorporation, respectveily. Besides, there were no signfiicant differences for these both experimental characteristics between mentioned above treatments and residue burning. The highest fresh forage yield, protein and ash percentages were achieved in residue burning treatment. In conclusion, it seems that residue burning accompained with usage of triticale as a green manure was the best choice to achieve high quality, but for obtaining the highest fresh forage yield and biological yield of forage corn, triticale plantation can be replaced by barley. Keywords: Cover crops, Manure, Geen manure, Forage corn.

 In order to investigate the effect of azotobacter on growth indices,grain yield and essence content of two cultivars of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) under saline conditions, an experiment was carried out in a factorial design arranged as randomized complete block with three replications in 2015 at Kashan University, Iran. Two cumin local varieties including Ardestān and Mashhad Ardehal were used. So, in a rudimentary experiment, the tolerance threshold was at 150 and 250 mM of Sodium Chloride for both varieties. The result showed that salinity and inoculation with bacteria had a significant effect on the percentage and germination rate, root length, plant height, and seed vigor. Increased concentrations up to 250 milli molar sodium chloride resulted in a significant reduction in germination percentage and germination rate, root length, stem height, seed vigor, grain yield and essence yield. Also, the results presented that in both varieties and at all levels of salinity,inoculation with bacteria compared to the control, lead to a significant increase in chlorophyll (a, b), carotenoids, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, plant height, grain yield and essence yield. Overall, Ardestan variety showed higher value for plant height, Chlorophyll (a, b), the carotenoids, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and essence content compared to Mashhad Ardehal variety. In general, the result of this experiment can be used to decrease salinity effects by azotobacter inoculation and increase grain yield and essence content of cumin.  Keywords:Azotobacter,Cumin, Essence, Grain yield,Salinity

To evaluate the effect of vermicompost fertilizer on quantitative characteristics of potato in north of Khuzestan region, in 2016-17 an experiment was carried out based on randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 3 treatments: vermicompost, (cow + sheep manure), and chicken manure. Results showed that fertilizer treatments had significant effect on large size tubers yield and large size tubers number at 1% probability level and on medium size tubers yield, total tubers yield, medium size tubers number, total number of tubers and tubers nitrate percentage at 5% probability level. Based on the results obtained, the most effective treatments on total yield of potato were vermicompost cow+ sheep manure, and chicken manure, respectively. The total yield of potato by application of vermicompost was 1.3% more than the yield by application of cow +sheep manure and 20.6% more than the yield by application of chicken manure. The results showed that application of vermicompost was not only economic and effective on potato yield, but also was better than other treatments for human health and environmental pollution.                                                                                                   
 

Mixing species in cropping systems may lead to a range of benefits that are expressed on various space and time scales from a short-term increase in crop yield to long-term increase in sustainable production of foods. In order to determine the benefits of two intercropping systems, oat-soybean and oat-groundnut, an experiment was conducted in research station of Baicheng Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 2011, Jilin province, China. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Treatments comprised different mono cropping and intercropping patterns, TO: sole cropping of oat, TOS-O: oat in the intercropping of oat and soybean, TOG-O: oat in the intercropping of oat and groundnut, TS: sole cropping of soybean, TOS-S: soybean in intercropping of oat and soybean, TG: sole cropping of groundnut, TOG-G: groundnut in the intercropping of oat and groundnut. No nitrogen fertilizer was used in this research. The highest seed yield was obtained for mono-cropping of soybean, followed by mono-cropping of groundnut and oat. Oat seed yields in intercropping of oat and groundnut, and intercropping of oat and soybean were 1208.00 kg/ha, and 832.3 kg/ha, respectively. The highest grain yield was obtained when soybean was grown together with oat, where the higher yield of intercrop is due to the better usage of nutrient, water and light. Land equivalent ratio (LER) in all intercropping patterns were higher than 1. LER in intercropping of soybean and oat, and intercropping of groundnut and oat were 1.41, and 1.30, respectively. With these LER values, 29.07% and 23.07% of land were respectively saved in intercropping of soybean and oat, and intercropping of groundnut and oat, respectively, which could be used for other agricultural purposes. In both intercropping of soybean and oat, and intercropping of groundnut and oat, completion index (CI) were less than 1, which means that both these two intercropping patterns have positive effects.
 

To Investigate the effects of different application times of broadleaf herbicides on winterwheat, a study was carried out (2015-16) in research farm of Islamic Azad University- Arak Branch as split plot experiment in randomized complete blocks design with twelve treatments and three replications. Main treatments were 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), no herbicide, tribenuron-methyl, 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) + tribenuron-methyl and subplots were time of using herbicides at initial establishment, tillering and start of stem elongation. Studied traits were the number of grains per spike (NGS), number of leaves per plant (NLP), spike’s dry weight (SDW), total dry weight (TDW) and grain yield (GY). According to the results, the highest GY (5.52 t ha−1) was obtained from 2,4-D at start of stem elongation whereas the treatment of no herbicide at initial establishment had the lowest yield (4.12 t ha−1). Also, the highest NGS (52.67) was produced by using of 2,4-D application at start of stem elongation which was not different from application 2,4-D at two other times. The lowest NGS (41) was belonging to no herbicide treatment. 

 In order to study the effects of agrophysiological responses of barley genotypes to salt stress and zinc fertilization, a field experiment was conducted in a strip-split-plot design with three replications. Saline irrigation water in three levels [2 (low), 10 (moderate) and 18 (high) dS m-1] were applied as vertical factors. Three barley genotypes [‘Morocco’ (salt-sensitive), ‘Nosrat’ (semi salt-tolerant) and ‘Khatam’ (salt-tolerant)] were arranged within the vertical factors. The horizontal factors were four zinc fertilizer applications [Nano-ZnO, Zn-EDTA, simultaneous applications of Nano-ZnO + Zn-EDTA, and water (control)]. With increasing  salinity, maximal efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), chlorophyll content (SPAD), relative water content (RWC), K+ ion, K+:Na+ ratio, number of spike (NS), kernel number per spike (KNS), thousand-kernel weight (TKW), and grain yield (GY) decreased, but electrolyte leakage (EL) and Na+ ion concentration increased. The tolerant genotype (Khatam) had maximum Fv/Fm, SPAD, RWC, K+ ion, K+:Na+ ratio, KNS and GY. Minus zinc application (check) had minimum Fv/Fm, SPAD, K+:Na+  ratio and GY. Nano-ZnO had the highest EL and the lowest KNS, K+ and Na+ ions. Zn-EDTA application provided the highest RWC, K+ ion, K+:Na+ ratio, KNS and GY. Overall, it was concluded that Zn-EDTA can be as a proper toolfor increasing barely yield under salinity stress conditions.