مجله گل و گیاهان زینتی
سال ششم شماره 1 (بهار و تابستان 1400)

Juniperus polycarpos K. Koch is a durable conifer species with different growth habit that grow in ecological landscapes. In this study, genetic diversity was investigated for five populations of juniper that grew in Fasa, Sepidan, Khabr, Rabor, and Genow habitat in the south of Iran. For DNA extraction, leaf samples of 10 diverse accessions of each habitat were collected (totally 50 accessions). Populations genetic diversity was evaluated based on 12 inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Assessment of ISSR markers predicted 75 loci with 67 (89.33%) polymorphic loci, polymorphic information content (PIC) 0.45, resolving power (Rp) 3.78, and effective multiplex ratio (EMR) and marker index (MI) of primers were 5.50 and 2.47, respectively. Populations Nei’s genetic diversity showed higher intra-population genetic diversity (0.25) than inter-population genetic diversity (0.13). Results indicated the highest different loci (Na) for Sepidan population (56) and the highest effective alleles (Ne) were obtained in two populations of Sepidan (1.49) and Genow (1.49). Furthermore, the highest gene diversity (H) observed in the population of Sepidan (0.27) and Genow (0.27). The population of Sepidan has the highest Shannon’s information index (I) (0.41) and percentage of polymorphic loci (P) (74.67). Investigated populations showed high total genetic diversity (Ht) (0.38), intra-population genetic diversity (Hs) (0.25), and inter-population genetic diversity (Dst) (0.13), and moderate genetic differentiation among populations (Gst = 0.34). High gene flow (Nm) was obtained between evaluated populations (0.94). Moreover, AMOVA analysis indicated 70% within and 30% among populations genetic variation.

Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot predatory mite is one of the most common biological control agents for two-spotted spider mite, greenhouse whitefly and onion thrips in greenhouses, which is widely used in greenhouse crops around the world. The importance of this study is to facilitate the mass rearing of this predatory mite. To evaluate the mass rearing of this predator, its life table on eggs, nymphal stages and adult mites of Carpoglyphus lactis Linnaeus under conditions  of 25 °C, 70 ±5% RH, 16:8 (L:D) was examined. Demographic parameters of A. swirskii including: r, λ and R0 when feeding eggs, nymphal stages and adult were estimated. Therefore, r parameter for feeding at different growth stages of dried fruit mite was estimated in mass production part. In addition, 20 treatments with different compounds with presence and 20 treatments without presence of dried fruit mite with three replications in a completely randomized block design with mass rearing method and intrinsic rate of increase (r) for all treatments were estimated and analyzed. Survey of egg life table, nymphal and adult stages of dried fruit mite showed that A. swirskii has the ability to mass rearing on all three developmental stages of dried fruit mite. Life table parameters, A. swirskii including: r, λ and R0 when feeding on dried fruit eggs were estimated to be 0.165 d-1, 1.173 d-1, and 12.95 eggs/individual, respectively. The results of life table parameters, especially r, showed that dried fruit mite has the potential to be a suitable intermediate host. Furthermore, the artificial diet of treatment number 20 without the presence of dried fruit mites is suitable for mass breeding of this predatory mite as an alternative method.

Narcissus is one of the bulbous cut flowers that has attracted the attention of customers due to its beauty and fragrance, however its short vase life and rapid wilting of the petals are the factors limiting the demand for this flower. To improve the postharvest quality of narcissus cut flowers, the flowers were harvested from narcissus farms in Khafr district, Jahrom city located in the southeast of Fars and transferred to the postharvest laboratory with paper coatings; then placed in containers containing gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) (1 and 5 mM), distilled water and 2% sucrose. Distilled water and 2% sucrose were considered as controls. Factors such as membrane stability index, polyphenol oxidase activity, petal browning intensity, flower quality and stem chlorophyll during 9 days of storage were evaluated. The concentration of 1 mM GABA significantly maintained the quality of the flowers. The lowest stability index was observed in the distilled water control treatment. The treated flowers with 1 mM GABA showed significantly less browning intensity than distilled water and sucrose controls. No significant difference was observed between the chlorophyll content of control and GABA treated samples.

Biotechnology is a proper implement for breeding traits such as flower size, color and aroma as well as improving disease resistance and improvement of flower vase life. With completion of genome sequencing of many ornamental plants and astonishing progress on site-specific edition, the process of diversification for ornamental plant breeding will accelerate. Nowadays, due to the ease in application, low cost, and availability, CRISPR/Cas has overtaken the other genome editing technologies such as ZFNs, TALENs and meganuclease. CRISPR/Cas is an acquisition immune system in archaea and some bacteria wherein bacteria in response to introduced genetic materials start to make small complementary transcript by which intercepts the existing invasive sequence and inactivates the target DNA with the help of Cas nuclease protein. Broken strands join together by DNA repair system but the mutated nucleotides lead to inactivity of the target gene. The most important achievement of this technology in ornamental plants so far is knocking down homeotic genes involved in plant developmental process and also color change in petunia, torenia, gentian, orchids, and Japanese morning glory. With further development and optimization of this method, we will soon see many changes in the breeding of biotic traits resistance.

Lily is one of the most important cut flowers, which is also widely used as a potted flower. In order to study the effects of gibberellic acid and humic acid on growth, flowering and vase life of Lilium LA Hybrid ‘Original Love’, an experiment was conducted as factorial in a completely randomized design with 2 factors, 16 treatments and 3 replications. The first factor was gibberellic acid at 0, 150, 300 and 450 mg L-1 which was carried out by immersing bulbs gibberellic acid for 24 hours. The second factor was humic acid, at 0, 200, 400 and 600 mg L-1 as foliar application at the beginning of sprouting every two weeks. The results showed that the effect of gibberellic acid treatment on bud number and flowering stem height was significantly different from control. The highest bud number (5.04) and flowering stem height (79.08 cm) were obtained by treating gibberellic acid at 450 and 300 mg L-1, respectively. Gibberellic acid and humic acid treatments effects separately showed significant differences on fresh weight of cut flower, total soluble solids and percentage of cell membrane stability index. Also, the interaction effect of gibberellic acid and humic acid treatments caused a significant increase in chlorophyll index (67.70 spad value), vase life (13.66 day), total chlorophyll (0.370 mg g-1 FW), chlorophyll a (0.266 mg g-1 FW), chlorophyll b (0.103 mg g-1 FW) and petal carotenoids (0.026 mg g-1 FW). The highest relative fresh weight was related to the interaction of gibberellic acid at 450 mg L-1 and humic acid at 400 mg L-1, with 113.47 and 103.75% increase on third, and fifth days, respectively. Also, the highest relative fresh weight at seventh day was observed in the treatment of gibberellic acid 450 mg L-1 and humic acid 600 mg L-1 with an average of 97.01%. Also, the highest water uptake was related to the interaction of gibberellic acid at 300 mg L-1 and humic acid at 600 mg L-1, with 1.99, 1.81-, and 1.48-ml g-1 FW at third, fifth and seventh days, respectively. In general, gibberellic acid 450 mg L-1 and humic acid 400 mg L-1 were the best treatments to improve the growth, flowering and vase life features of lily.

Geranium is one of the most important potted and bedding ornamental plants that selection and construction of a suitable growing medium is important for success in any stage of its production. In order to determine a suitable pot mixture for geranium, the effect of peat moss, cocopeat and licorice root residue in soil-based mixtures (50% by volume, including soil and perlite in a ratio of 5:2), an experiment with 6 treatments (50% by volume) including peat moss (P50), cocopeat (C50), licorice root residue (L50), peat + cocopeat (P25C25), peat + licorice residue (P25L25) and cocopeat + licorice residue (C25L25) was performed. The results showed that the highest values of plant height, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, number of leaves, average leaf area, number of inflorescences, petiole length and apparent quality rating were belonged to P50 treatment. The highest values of root fresh and dry weight  and root volume were obtained in P25C25 mixture. The highest leaf area ratio (LAR) and relative leaf water content (RWC) were belonged to P50 treatment and the highest amount of chlorophyll was belonged to P25L25 mixture. In general, the best vegetative and flowering performance of plants were observed in P50 treatment (containing loamy soil (35%), perlite (15%) and peat moss (50%)) and then in P25C25 treatment. Therefore, with little access to peat moss, less than 50% of peat moss can be replaced with cocopeat, and more cocopeat has a negative effect on plant growth. Licorice residue had a negative effect on most of the measured indices.