نشریه علوم سبزی ها
سال ششم شماره 1 (پیاپی 11، بهار و تابستان 1401)

In the production of fruit vegetables in the greenhouse, grafting on resistant rootstocks is one of the most important methods to deal with problems such as low root temperatures and soil diseases. In order to evaluate the effect of commercial cucurbita rootstocks (Shintoza, Rootpower, Cobalt) on qualitative and quantitative three cultivars of greenhouse cucumber (Shahin, Nogin, Katrina), an experiment was carried out in a factorial completely randomized block design (The first factor consists of three cultivars of cucumber and the second factor consists of three base cultivars with the control (no grafting) under hydroponic with four replicates in the Agricultural Research Station, University of Tabriz in field Conditions at 2016. In this experiment, in addition to evaluating root and scion compatibility, fruit quality indices including acidity, TSS, pH, EC and growth indices including leaf area, stem and leaf dry weight, stem length, yield, mineral uptake (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) was examined in fruits, leaves and roots. The results showed that rootstocks caused an increase in fresh and dry weight of shoots, yield, leaf area, number of fruits and soluble solids. The graft reduced the length of the cucumbers and had no effect on the diameter. The highest percentages of fruit dry matter were 5.46% and 5.40%, respectively, for Shahin/ Shintoza and Nogin/ Shintoza. The highest soluble solids of fruit 4.41 were related to Shahin/ Rootpower bonding compound. Transplantation increased the uptake of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus nutrients. In general, grafting on these rootstocks had a positive effect on most traits especially on fruit yield and had no negative effect on the taste of greenhouse cucumbers.

The melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover is a polyphagous pest that causes serious damage to various crops including vegetables. This insect is one of the most important pests of cucumber plant in greenhouses throughout the world. Biological control is one of the alternative or complementary methods for chemical control that can be used in IPM programs. The use of natural enemies can be very effective in reducing the population of invasive pests. Among biological control agents, Chrysoperla carnea (Stepehns) has attracted the most attention as an effective pest control agent. Also, using resistant cultivars is one of the important methods for pest control management. Therefore, the use of resistant cultivars with effective biological control agents plays an important role in pest control. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of some cucumber cultivars on biological and population growth parameters of A. gossypii and the functional response of C. carnea.

Four cucumber cultivars including Arshia, Caspian, Danito and Tarom were used in this study. Life table experiments were performed using 50 first instar nymphs (< 24 h old) for each cucumber cultivar. The nymphs were separately reared on the leaves of each cultivar. After emergence of adults, their fecundity and survival were recorded daily until all of them were dead. The parameters were estimated using TWOSEX-MS Chart, life table procedure. In the functional response experiment, different densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128) of 3- and 4-d- old aphid nymphs were separately offered to the third instar larvae of C. carnea, which were starved for 16 h before the test. The number of consumed preys was recorded after 24 h. The experiment was repeated 10 times for each aphid density and cucumber cultivar. Logistic regression analysis and nonlinear least square regression procedure were used to determine the type of functional response and estimate the parameters, respectively. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse at 25±2 °C, 65±5% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D) h.

Based on the results, the highest values of intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and net reproductive rate (R0) of the aphid were estimated on Tarom (0.443 ± 0.009 and 30.14 ± 2.05, resp.) and the lowest values were on Caspian (0.297 ± 0.009 and 16.78 ± 1.55, resp.) and Danito (0.305 ± 0.011 d-1 and 16.62 ± 1.60 per generation, respectively). The finite rate of increase (λ) ranged from 1.346 ± 0.013 on Caspian to 1.557 ± 0.015 d-1 on Tarom. The lowest values for mean generation time (T) and doubling time (DT) of the aphid were estimated on Arshia and Tarom cultivars. In the second experiment, the predator exhibited functional response type III on all cucumber cultivars. The attack constant (b) for the third instar C. carnea varied from 0.00121 to 0.00168 and its handling time (Th) ranged from 0.3145 to 0.4596 h on different cucumber cultivars.

Comparison of the biological parameters showed that Tarom cultivar with the highest values of rm and λ is a relatively desirable cultivar for the growth and feeding of A. gossypii. In contrast, Caspian cultivar is less desirable for A. gossypii. Also, according to the parameters of attack constant (b) and handling time (Th), it seems that Caspian and Danito are more suitable cultivars for biological control of A. gossypii than other two cultivars. However, additional studies under greenhouse conditions are needed to provide further details of different cucumber cultivars, A. gossypii and C. carnea.

Silicon (Si) is considered as a beneficial nutrient in most plants which can contribute to various positive physiological impacts. It is well documented that Si can alleviate a broad range of biotic and abiotic stresses, so this element is an effective inorganic antistress. As tomato is usually attacked by different pathogens like fungi, in addition it is vulnerable against a vast range of abiotic stresses including water stress, chilling, freezing and so forth, Si treatment can be a good strategy for strengthening the plant defense system. It is so obvious that Si treatment should be applied before stress; because of this, comprehension of this element behavior in normal conditions can be important. However, most experiments about Si have been conducted in stressful conditions, but evaluation of the Si effect in normal conditions, its behavior in plants, and its distribution in different organs need to be explored. Recently, the active gene of S1Lsi1 which is responsible for Si influx, was detected in tomato, but efflux gene named S1Lsi2 was inactive, therefor translocation of Si from root to above parts of plant might be seriously restricted. Evaluation of tomato potential for Si root absorption and after that transporting of the element to the aerial parts can shed light on the efficiency of Si fertilization. So, this research was outlined to monitor the Si uptake by root, its distribution in different plant organs, and its effects on biomass and yield in tomatoes treated by different concentrations of Si.2-

In this research, Si uptake and translocation in tomato plant was evaluated in completely randomized design experiment with 11 treatments (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 mg Si/l from K2SiO3), and four replications in an open field soil pot experiment. Potassium silicate treatments were applied every 10 days up to 8 times during the experiment conduction. Each pot was fertigated 200 ml of Si contained solution. Fresh and dry weight of fruits, fresh and dry weight of old leaves, fresh and dry weight of young leaves, fresh and dry weight of stem, fresh and dry weight of root, and Si content of different parts of plant were determined in this experiment. Analysis of variation was carried out by SAS 9.1 software and the Duncan test was used for mean comparison. 3-

PCR Based on obtained results, treatments of 300 and 600 mg/l caused an increase in fresh weight of old leaves and stem. A huge amount of Si settles down on the cell wall; as a result, the stronger stem of plants in these treatments can be expected. Also, Si in 600, 700, 800, and 900 mg/l led to more fruit dry biomass. Two treatments of 500 and 600 mg/l produced the highest yield per plant, but the highest fruit number was observed just in 600 mg/l treatment. According to regression analysis the highest fruit yield per plant will be obtained in 548mg/l of Si. Positive effect of Si on the yield of different crops was frequently reported which is in harmony with our results. Si fertigation in 600mg/l concentration significantly contributed to more Si content in old leaves and total plant. Recently, it was reported that Si accumulation in old leaves is more than young once which can be related to the immobility mode of this element in plants. Distribution model of Si in tomato plants showed 73.09% of absorbed Si accumulated in fruits and after that stem, leaves and root placed in lower levels with 11.49, 13.81 and 1.61% respectively. So, the hypothesis of low Si translocation from root to aerial parts in tomato was contradicted by the present results. Accumulation of Si in fruits is a promising indication, because positive influences of Si can be observed in fruits especially in postharvest phase. 4-

It can be definitely said that Si applied through the fertigation was absorbed by tomato root and the large percentage of the element was transported to other organs especially fruits which received a large extent of absorbed Si. Overall, treatment of tomato plants with 600 mg/l of Si improved vegetative growth, stem strength, yield, and fruit number per plant, so this concentration can be recommended for growing tomato; in contrast, low or high concentrations were not efficient enough.

Vinasse is one of the by-products of alcohol and yeast companies that use molasses as a raw material. The production of this substance is very high in the industry and the release of Vinasse in nature has environmental damage due to the large amounts of organic and inorganic materials. Today, the possibility of using this substance in low concentrations as organic fertilizer in agriculture has been proposed. Using Vinasse as an organic fertilizer is a simplest and most practical way to reduce waste.

In this regard, this experiment was conducted with the aim of investigating the use of Vinasse as fertigation on the growth traits of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in a completely randomized design with four replications. Cucumber seeds of hybrid cultivar (super max F1) with 99% purity were used. In order to seed germination and seedling production, seeds were cultured in cocopeat+perlite (1:1) and placed in the growth chamber. After seven days from seed sowing, experimental treatments were applied. Treatments included 1) hogland fertilizer, 2) diluted Vinasse, 3) hogland fertilizer+diluted Vinasse, 4) ½ hogland fertilizer+½ diluted Vinasse. After 7 weeks, plants were collected and growth parameters were measured. The investigated morphological traits included the number of leaves, fresh and dry weight of leaves, fresh and dry weight of roots, fresh and dry weight of stems, volume of roots, length and diameter of stems, as well as leaf surface. The plant leaf area was measured using ImageJ 1.52v software. Also, physiological traits such as relative water content (Barrs & Weatherley, 1962), electrolyte leakage (Marcum, 1998), pigment content (chlorophyll index, chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid) (Dere et al., 1998), protein (Bradford, 1976), proline (Bathes et al., 1973) and leaf nitrogen were measured by kjeldahl method (Page et al., 1982). Statistical analysis of data was done using JMP-8 software and mean comparison was done using LSD test.

The use of Hoagland nutrient solution alone led to an increase in the number of leaves in the plant compared to other fertilizer treatments and recorded the highest leaf fresh weight (4.52 grams) and leaf dry weight (0.35 grams). Meanwhile, the combined use of Vinasse and Hoagland nutrient solution in full concentration was able to increase the leaf area in the plant and the highest amount of leaf area (29.21 cubic centimeters) was recorded in this treatment. Root fresh weight was affected by the combined treatment of Vinasse and Hoagland nutrient solution in half concentration and it increased significantly (1.89 grams) compared to other treatments. The application of Vinasse alone could only lead to the production of the highest dry weight of the stem (0.23 grams) compared to other experimental treatments. Although the complete Hoagland fertilizer treatment showed good results in the development of the root system, the use of the combination of Hoagland and Vinasse nutrient solution in half concentration showed a more appropriate response. Results showed that plants treated with Vinasse entered the reproductive phase faster than other experimental treatments. Vinasse contains significant amounts of potassium and organic matter (Kusumaningtyas et al., 2017). The rapid flowering of Vinasse-treated plants is probably due to the high potassium content of this organic fertilizer and the reduction in nitrogen content. The use of Vinasse as a fertigation in plants leads to the enrichment of microelements in the substrate (Kogani et al., 2018), and due to the abundance of organic matter in Vinasse, it is an important source of nutrients that is suitable for plant growth (Madejon et al., 2001). However, according to the results of this experiment, it was determined that application of Vinasse alone is not able to meet the nutritional needs of the cucumber plant. The use of hogland fertilizer + diluted Vinasse improves the growth traits of the plant such as leaf number, root fresh weight, root dry weight, leaf dry weight and leaf area. The use of diluted Vinasse reduced the chlorophyll content and increased the proline.

In general, Vinasse is not a complete fertilizer because of the low nitrogen content. So it needs to be combined with other nitrogen fertilizers. However, this fertilizer can be used in the reproductive growth stage when the plant needs lower amounts of nitrogen.

Green beans are one of the vegetables with high nutritional value in the food basket of Iranian households. However, the domestic variety of green beans has not been improved and released so far. Therefore, in order to obtain high-yielding cultivars of high quality green beans, this experiment was performed.

Eight lines (KS10008, KS10069, KS10071, KS10072, KS10073, KS940102, KS94014 and KS940144) were compared with the commercial cultivars Sunray and Valentino in a randomized complete block design with three replications in three regions: Karaj, Sari and Zarghan over two years (2017-2018). In both years, at the end of April and the beginning of May, the seeds of each line were planted in six rows of five meters long with a seed spacing of 10 cm and a distance between lines of 60 cm. Morphological traits such as the number of pods per plant, length of pods, weight of pods per plant, as well as phenology traits (such as days after planting to emergence of the third trifoliate leaf, flowering and maturity) and finally green pod yield of each genotype were recorded. The marketability of pods (size, shape, color, crispness and taste) was also checked in each genotype. The results related to the yield of the green pods of the lines were analyzed. Non-parametric rank method was used to determine the degree of compatibility and grouping of genotypes.

The results of combined analysis of variance of green pod yield in three regions during two years showed that the effect of year and location was not significant, but the interaction of year×location, genotype× year, genotype× location and genotype×year× location were significant. Also, the results showed that the genotypes were significantly different in the green pod yield. The comparison of average yield of green pods showed that KS940144 line had the highest pod weight per unit area. Lines KS10071 and KS940102 ranked second and third in terms of green pod yield. The lowest green pod weight was related to KS10072 line. The KS940144 line also showed the highest number of pods per plant. The highest and lowest weight of green pods belonged to KS940144 and KS10072 lines in Karaj, respectively. In Sari, the highest and lowest green pod weight belonged to KS940144 and Valentino and in Zarghan, the highest and lowest green pod weight belonged to KS940144 and KS10072 lines, respectively. One of the factors affecting the production of crops is the interaction between genotype and environment. The less this interaction is, the more stable the production will be. Yield stability analysis by non-parametric ranking method showed that KS940144 and KS10071 lines were the most stable lines. One of the important characteristics of green beans, apart from stringless of pod, is the length of the pod or its elongation. The crispness of the pod and its color are also prominent features in the marketability of green beans. KS10073 line, although it was identified as a stringless line in the previous steps, but in this experiment, it was observed that for this trait, it is variable with the change of environmental conditions and its crispiness is also different. KS10008 line is one of the early mature lines and can be suggested for areas with a shorter growing season. Of course, the greater thickness of its pod compared to other lines and commercial cultivars reduces its marketability. Lines KS940143 and KS940144 are similar in pod and have good pod elongation. These two lines are similar in appearance to Sunray variety and even better than it. Their difference is the lighter color of the KS940143 line compared to the KS940144 line and the Sunray variety. Also, the KS940144 line has an elongated and slender pod, while the pods of Sunray variety and KS940143 line are sword-shaped. Lines KS10071 and KS940102 are similar to each other in terms of pod shape and also similar to Valentino variety. These three genotypes have elongated pods. Their difference is the lighter color of the KS940102 line compared to the KS10071 line and the Valentino variety.

In general, according to the results obtained in the regions, the stability analysis of green pod yield and also considering the important trait of marketing, KS940144, KS10071, KS10008 and KS940102 were selected as the superior lines.

The use of plant extracts is important in integrated pest management programs. Extract is a solution containing all useful plant substance including tannins, mosilajs and essences. Plant extracts can be alternatives for today’s pesticides. Pesticides are potentially hazardous to humans, adverse health effects of them often can occur after exposure and are called acute and chronic effects. The negative effects of pesticides are the ability of them to bioaccumulate and biological magnification. Biological control agents are new compounds that can control insect pests without negative effect on environment and food safety. If these plant compounds to be safe for natural enemies in addition to be effectiveness against pests, they will be efficient. Application of Biological control can minimize pesticides exposure and thus reduce hazard of them. Biological control agents are new compounds that can control insect pests without negative effect on environment and food safety. Bracon hebetor Say (Hym: Braconidae) is one of the most important biological control factors on farms, orchards and forests of the country widely perceived to be in nature and can be effective in controlling larvae of leprose winged pests at acceptable economic level.

This study was done at Tabriz Azad University Iran, during 2018. It was carried out based on complaitly randomized design with five replications and each test comprised a minimum of five log spaced concentrations and water as the control. Two extracts used in this experiment that were methanolic and acetonic extracts of tomato leaf. Extraction was carried out by using methanol and acetone as solvents. leaves of tomato collected, well washed with distilled water, air dried in shadow then used for extraction. Bioassays were conducted against male and female adults of B. hebetor. The level of adult bees’ death was registered after 24 hours. The results were registered and the data were analyzed for obtaining LC50 and LC25 using software SPSS and Probit program. In the following experiment, the sublethal effects of concentration of LC25 of the extract on the B. hebetor biologic parameters in combination with water were examined. Daily schedules of mortality and fecundity were recorded and used to calculate life table parameters. Variance and standard error were measured using the Jack-knife technique. Analyses of variance and the means were compared by the Tukey test, using SPSS software program, and the figures were drawn by software Excel.

In this study, response of B. hebetor, was studied to acetonic and methanolic extracts of tomato leaf that treated by LC25 of extracts and then the life history parameters were compared. The average number of eggs laid and fertility eggs in order to control and metanolic and acetonic extracts 39.49, 46.93, 23.11 and 28.04, 28.67 and 17.33 respectively. The greatest number of offspring produced per female was observed in the treatment of methanolic. The number of eggs laid in acetonic treatment is affected more than other treatments. The Adult longevity of B. hebetor in control and treatment with methanol and acetone was 19.5, 19.12 and 18.12 respectively. The highest adult longevity was seen in control and the lowest longevity was seen in acetone. The sex ratio (female / (female+male)) was in control and methanolic and acetonic extracts, respectively 0.55, 0.94 and 0.57. The sex ratio in the methanolic treatment was highest, indicating the female is more in comparison with male oriented, which means less negative effects of methanolic extract. The lowest sex ratio was in control (0.55). The life expectancy of wasps, which were under treatment by acetonic extract, was significantly lower than control and methanolic treatment.

Our results detected that the diverse of extracts had different effects on biological parameters of B. hebetor. Investigation of sublethal effect of pesticides have a great important in IPM programs. This effect does not demonstrate the insect death, but decrease their populations in next generations. Thus, the evaluation of sublethal effect in insect behavior such as parasitoids is essential for the development of new strategy.

Medicinal plants are valuable resources that have been considered by developing and developed countries considered as raw materials to become safe drugs for humans. Satureja belonging to the Lamiaceae This genus has more than 91 species with a wide distribution in the Mediterranean region. There are more than 8 species of this genus in Iran. Genetic identification and registration of different plant cultivars is one of the important stages of protecting genetic resources, which will be a difficult task for most plants in the early stages due to morphological characteristics. DNA barcoding is an emerging technology for fast and accurate species identification, and it is a molecular-based identification system that has recently been widely used, and its purpose is to identify biological samples and assign them to a specific species. Molecular DNA barcoding method is a reliable tool for identifying medicinal plants at the genus and species level. In this technique, a small part of the plant genome is sequenced and used to identify and determine the relationship between different species of a genus.

In the present study, the seeds of different species of savory plants including ( horentiss, S. bakhtiari, S. biossier, S. mutica, S. bakhtiari) were prepared from different regions of Ilam province and the National Center of Genetic and Biological Resources of Iran were investigated using DNA barcoding. Seed cultivation was done in April 2016 in the greenhouse of Ilam University. The seeds of the used species were grown in small pots. After the seeds germinated, when the seedlings grew to the stage of two to three leaves, the young leaves were sampled for DNA extraction. Genomic DNA was extracted by Doyle et al.'s method in the biotechnology laboratory of Ilam University in 1397. Quality and quantity of genomic DNA was checked using agarose gel 1/2% and nanodrop device respectively. PCR was performed using specific primers for matK, rbcL and ITS genes. Among the studied genes only matK gene was amplified in all samples.  After purification of PCR products, their product were sequenced. In order analysis of data, first, the sequence Blast in NCBI database using nucleotide Blast. Alignment of sequence was done using Clustalw method by BioEdite Sequence Alignment Editor Software. Indeed, Phylogenetic tree created using MEGA-X software.

PCR amplification show that the only matK gene well amplified in all samples, while the other genes were not amplified.  Also, the quality of the graphs shows the high quality of the sequence of the amplified fragment of the PCR product and the purity of the examined samples.  Nucleotide BLAST in NCBI show that our results have high similarity with related spices in NCBI (more than 96%). The results of the analysis of content of nucleotides in the studied samples in comparison with the sample in NCBI show that according to the changes observed in the length of the fragment amplified on the agarose gel, but there were no significant changes in the molecular percentage of nucleotides in the studied samples. Cluster analysis based on UPGMA method of matK gene showed that the samples of biossier and S. bakhtiarica of Ilam and Gilan along with the sample of S. hortensis Birjand and Yazd were in the same group and samples of s. bakhtiari Yazd and s. Khorasan mutica were in the second group.

The results of PCR amplification show that matK gene has been amplified in all samples that it can be very well way for investigating and determining of phylogenetic relationship of different savory species. The results of matK gene sequence as one of the candidate genes in plant DNA barcodes showed that the studied samples and ecotypes along with samples extracted from NCBI were classified into three groups. The results of this study showed that it is possible to use the matK gene as a part of the barcode system to identify savory species. However, due to the lack of information about the barcode library for the matK gene in the Satureja genus, it is not possible to make a definite conclusion about the species. The matK gene has two advantages, including the efficient yield of quality sequences and a high level of species discrimination. In general, re-sequencing of matK gene can be separated different samples from each other based on geographical origin.

Greenhouse cucumber is one of the most importance economic crops in Iran and many countries of the world. Many diseases threaten cucumber, and in other words, this product is always exposed to pathogenic organisms in its living environment, in which fungi and other plant pathogens cause many losses in vegetable and summer fields in Iran and around the world. Destructive diseases that cause significant damage to vegetable and summer crops in fields and greenhouses every year are seedling death disease and plant death disease caused by Phytophthora pseudofungus. The use of plant extracts and essential oils are of great value because so far no resistance to these types of compounds has been observed in pests and diseases, perhaps the reason for this is the presence of various effective compounds in these compounds and considering. The existing problems regarding the use of fungicides, study and research on new and reliable and low-cost methods for the control and management of plant diseases is a necessity for agriculture mangment in the world. In this study, the antifungal effects of denaei thyme essential oil (Zataria multiflora) & two fungicides fusetyl aluminum & metalaxyl-mancozeb were investigated to control the disease of greenhouse cucumber caused by Phytophthora.

In autumn and winter of 2018, sampling of cucumber greenhouses suspected of contamination was done in Garmsar city, Semnan province, Iran. The pathogenicity test of pseudofungal isolates was performed. Cucumber seeds were transferred to pots after germination and having two leaves. In the three- to four-leaf stage of the seedlings, the soil near the crown and roots was removed and the colony causing Phythophthora disease was placed next to the crown. In the control treatment, only pure culture medium without pseudofungi was used. Disease evaluation was done one month later. The test of mixing these three factors (thyme essential oil & two fungicides fosetil aluminum & metalaxyl-mancozeb) was used for laboratory tests. In this research, in addition to the effect of denaei thyme essential oil, fustil aluminum and metalaxyl-mancozeb were also used in five concentrations of 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 ppm on Phytophthora pseudofungus. In order to determine the inhibition percentage of denaeithyme extract. Also,denaei thyme extract was evaluated in different concentrations including 250, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 ppm. In  greenhouse tests including pathogenicity test, evaluation of the mentioned treatments on the symptoms of the disease caused by Phytophthora sp. The activity of peroxidase, catalase & phenylalanine ammonialyase was also investigated. In tirst, the seeds of the cucumber plant after disinfection and cultivation in pots, in the stage of three to four leaves, according to the method of proving pathogenicity, respectively, the pathogen of Phytophthora sp. were inoculated (Gholamnezhad et al., 2016). After 24 hours, 50 ml of denaei thyme extract and the fungicides used in this research were added to the soil around the roots of the plants infected with the pathogen with a concentration of 1500 and 150 ppm, respectively.

The results showed that among the five fungal isolates studied in this study, isolates P1 & P5 caused more disease (78.52 & 62.68%, respectively). In the test of the effect of different treatments in preventing the growth of pathogenic fungal mycelium, a concentration of 60 ppm of metalaxyl-mancozeb fungicide with 96.32% had the highest effect in the control of the pathogen, but also concentration of 5 ppm of fossil aluminum with a rate of 12.30% had the lowest effect. . In present reserch metalaxyl-mancozeb fungicide 150 ppm by 88.60% inhibition of the pathogen and fusitel aluminum fungicide 150 ppm by 79.37% reduction of disease in the greenhouse were the best treatments during study. These results showed that to increase the effectiveness of this essential oil, it is necessary to use a higher concentration of essential oil compared to the chemical compounds studied in this study.

According to the results of this study, thyme essential oil has a high potential both in terms of antifungal power and induction of plant defense mechanisms against plant pathogens. However, the results of parametric analysis as well as analysis of variance showed that, compared to chemical compounds, higher concentrations of plant essential oils should be used to combat this disease.

Plant parasitic nematodes cause important economic losses in agricultural crops. Knot-producing nematode, Meloidogyne javanica is the most destructive of many crops in the world. In order to control plant nematodes as one of the important plant pathogens, various methods such as, fallow and crop rotation, cultivation of resistant cultivars, biological control and chemical methods are used. Today, due to the excessive use of agricultural pesticides, the health of the consumer community and the environment are endangered. Because of the chitin and protein are as dominant compositions in middle layer of the eggshell, using of the chitinases and proteases produced as degrading enzymes in a wide range of the fungi is a good strategy for biological control of the on knot-producing nematode. The disintegration of nematode eggs can only be caused by enzymatic action. Activity of the fungal egg-parasites leads to immobility and death of the embryo and results in a reduction of nematode population density. Many natural enemies of plant parasitic nematodes occur that may be useful for biological control. These include pathogens, predators, competitors and antagonists of which 76% are fungi. The fungal antagonists have been most extensively studied and are considered the most applicable for biological control of nematodes. The use of biological agents to control of plant-parasitic nematodes is less effective compared with chemical method, but positive result of fungal agents has been encouraging. In this study has tried to be examined considerable ability of the various antagonistic fungi to control of M. javanica in vitro and greenhouse conditions.

In this study has tried to be examined antagonistic ability of seven isolates of five fungal genus including: Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium equiseti, Paecilomyces sp., Trichoderma atroviridae, Ulocladium dauci and Alternaria alternata on knot-producing nematode in vitro and greenhouse conditions. The ability of the protease enzyme production of fungal isolates was also evaluated. The protease specific activity assay in 7 isolates of various species of fungi obtained from infected knot-producing nematode over 5 days of fungal growth (24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h) was measured. Also evaluation was performed in vitro by calculating the percentage of parasitized eggs and larvae in water-agar and also in the greenhouse by examining the growth factors of cucumber under the antagonistic effect of fungal isolates on nematodes. The ability of antagonistic activity of the fungi on the eggs was evaluated in water-agar medium with evaluation of the interaction between fungi and eggs. The numbers of healthy and parasitized (dead) larvaes and eggs were calculated after two weeks. The ability of the antagonistic fungi under greenhouse conditions was done. To provide of fungal inoculum, 20g of soaked wheat seed were cast in bags with autoclave capability. Per every gram of casted seed, 2 ml distilled water were added and during 24 hours they autoclaved 3 times. Then to every of bag number of 4 fungi disk with 5 mm diameter from selected isolates was added in 3 repetitions and was kept in 25ºC and dark conditions. To colonization all of the seeds and to avoid of hang of them, every 48 hours interval the seeds in bags were mixed. After three weeks all of the seeds were infected with fungal isolates. The ability of the antagonistic fungi under greenhouse conditions was done by adding fungal inoculum and the numbers of 2000 eggs to each pot and evaluation of performance traits of cucumber in pot after 90 days. In every two conditions, data analysis ANOVA (Analysis of variance) was conducted using of the SAS software version 9.4 in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates.

Analysis of variance of evaluation results in vitro and greenhouse conditions showed significant difference among isolates in 1% level. Results showed there is direct relation between increase in plant yield and add fungal isolates to the pot. The results of antagonistic ability of fungal isolates in vitro and greenhouse showed there is good correlation between two conditions. So the results showed a positive effect of the fungal isolates in reducing nematode damages.

Finally, based on all of the evaluations F. equiseti isolate was reported as the most effective isolate an F. oxysporum isolate as the least effective antagonist fungus.

Momordica charantia L., a member of the Cucurbitaceae family and commonly known as bitter gourd and bitter melon, thrives in humid and subtropical regions around the world. Bitter gourd is a common herb usually consumed as a vegetable for medicinal purposes in different parts of the world, including Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Asia, and Africa. It is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals such as iron and calcium, vitamins, especially vitamin C, and dietary fibers. Grafting is a connection of two plant tissues, which are forced to develop vascular connections and grow as a single plant. Grafting has become imperative for vegetable production. Grafting of herbaceous seedlings is a unique horticultural technology practiced for many years in East Asia to overcome issues associated with intensive cultivation using limited arable land for vegetable production. In the study effect of different cucurbit rootstocks on some morphological and yield indices of bitter gourd.

In order to evaluate the effect of commercial cucurbit rootstocks: Marvel, Tetsukabuto, Sentinel (Takii Seed Company, Japan), and scion: bitter gourd Preeti variety (Kian Darou Zagros company, Iran) on qualitative and quantitative bitter gourd an experiment was carried out in a completely randomized block design under hydroponic with three replicates in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, in greenhouse conditions at 2019. In this experiment, in addition to pH of xylem sap, EC of xylem sap, water absorption (ml/day), and growth indices including day to first female flowering (Day), green and ripe fruit shape, green and ripe fruit weight (g), water content green and ripe fruit (ml), dry matter green and ripe fruit weight (%), number of fruits per plant, rootstock diameter (cm), graft site diameter (cm), and scion diameter (cm).

The results showed that rootstocks and grafting caused an increase in first female flowering, green and ripe fruit shape, green and ripe fruit weight, dry matter green and ripe fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, and pH, EC xylem sap, water absorption. The highest weight of green and ripe fruit weight, dry matter green and ripe fruit weight were observed in Marvel rootstock and the lowest was observed in Sentinel rootstock. The highest water absorption was observed in the Tetsukabuto rootstock and the lowest was observed in the Sentinel rootstock. Also, the highest green fruit diameter (6.87 cm), green fruit length (18.48 cm), and ripe fruit length (18.57 cm) were observed in the Tetsukabuto rootstock and the lowest was observed in Sentinel rootstock (green fruit diameter (3.19 cm), green fruit length (12.43 cm), and ripe fruit length (13.12 cm)). But the highest green and ripe fruit shape (4.09), graft site diameter (3.8 cm), day to first female flowering (33.53 days), and water content green fruit (91.89%) were observed in Sentinel rootstock.

According to the obtained results, Marvel and Tetsukabuto rootstocks were better compatible with bitter gourd and showed a significant difference with other treatments in terms of measured indices (green fruit diameter, green fruit length, ripe fruit length, green and ripe fruit weight, dry matter green and ripe fruit weight). Also, Sentinel rootstock showed a decrease in morphological and yield indicators in most cases (green fruit diameter, green fruit length, ripe fruit length, green and ripe fruit weight, dry matter green and ripe fruit weight). According to the results of Sentinel rootstock, it showed incompatibility with bitter gourd.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is an export product and one of the most lucrative products compared to other vegetables; and it is a valuable economic, pharmaceutical, food and industrial crop. The most important agriculture aspect of asparagus is the quality of the seedlings; they depend on the percentage of rooting after planting and are very important for future crop quality. This study was conducted to determine the best level of municipal waste compost and fertigation on asparagus seedling growth with thick buds and large and dense crown, strong roots, and a high number of summer branches.

The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications and with two factors of substrate composition (at four levels) and fertigation (at two levels) with three replications and at least 20 seedlings per replication. Asparagus seeds were planted in four different litter compositions that of 50% by volume of garden soil and sand used as a base bed and mixed with different amounts of municipal waste compost (0, 10, 20, 30% by volume). After germination, half of the seedlings in each bed were fed with fertigation containing nitrogen, potassium, and pure phosphorus at the rate of 150, 100, 50 grams per cubic meter of irrigation water. Finally, after a three-month feeding period, the important traits of seedlings including root length, number of buds, number of summer shoots, summer stem height, SPAD index, number of roots, root volume, root diameter, percentage of ash, percentage of dry matter, fresh weight, potassium, phosphorus, phenol, flavonoids and antioxidants were measured.

The results of data analysis of variance showed that the effect of fertigation and the effect of compost levels of composition on plant height, number of top summer branch, fresh weight of the plant, plant dry weight, crown thickness, number of buds, root length, number of roots, root volume, chlorophyll index (SPAD), total phenol, total flavonoids, and potassium were significant. The results showed that the highest average of these traits was related to fertigation treatment and the lowest average of these traits was obtained without fertigation treatment. The results of comparing the average simple effects of compost levels, the highest average of these traits from culture medium containing 30% municipal waste compost and the lowest average of these traits was obtained from culture medium containing no municipal waste compost. Also, the interaction effect of compost levels in fertigation on plant dry weight and canopy thickness was significant. The highest average of these traits was related to treatment with fertigation and culture medium containing 30% municipal waste compost.

It seems that due to the long production period of asparagus seedlings, paying attention to feeding the seedlings through fertigation and enriching the culture medium can help improve the quality of seedlings. As the results of our experiment showed, the use of municipal solid waste compost has an effect on germination, growth and number of summer shoots, number of buds, increase in volume, length, diameter and number of roots, crown thickness and chlorophyll index, fresh weight and plant dryness, percentage of dry matter, amount of phenol and absorption of potassium could have a great effect on the growth and quality of the seedlings of this plant. On the other hand, with the increase in plant growth and as a result, more yield, the plant needs irrigation to expand the roots and increase the number of summer stems because it needs a lot of nutrients. Therefore, it is better to use mineral fertilizer in growing asparagus. In this condition, the plant produces more roots, and the underground stems that lead to produce more and stronger seedlings. Stronger asparagus seedling growth faster than the weeds and overcomes and reaches economic performance sooner. Therefore, carefulness in the use of municipal solid waste compost and the amount of animal and mineral fertilizers, by affecting the yield and as a result the profitability of this plant, will encourage farmers to cultivate this crop. On the other hand, it is possible to use municipal solid waste compost in other ways. There is no need to use a large number of chemical fertilizers and the safe product is healthier than other plant products that use a large number of chemical fertilizers for their production.

Spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) is one of the most important vegetables that is rich in minerals and vitamins, and according to the nutritional value of this vegetable in the household basket. Increasing the yield per unit area with emphasis on the health of the product from the position is nececery. In this regard, combining organic fertilizers with chemical fertilizers can increase the yield of this plant. The results of many researches show that urban waste compost has the ability to be used in agricultural lands and can be an affordable organic fertilizer that can replace part of chemical fertilizers and has a special position in sustainable agriculture. Among the nutrients required by plants, nitrogen is the most limiting factor for plant growth and the key nutrient in achieving optimal performance in most crops, especially in dry areas. The most important method of providing nitrogen required in agriculture is the use of nitrogen fertilizers. Therefore, the most widely used fertilizer among chemical fertilizers is nitrogen fertilizers. Despite the role of nitrogen fertilizers as a tool to achieve the maximum production per unit area, the management of fertilizer consumption should be in a way that does not cause the accumulation of pollutants such as nitrates in the consuming organs of the products.This research was conducted with the aim of field evaluation of urban waste compost in combination with nitrogen on spinach yield and nitrate content of the product and soil.

In order to investigate the effect of different levels of urban waste compost and nitrogen in spinach cultivation, a factorial field experiment based on a randomized complete block design with 9 treatments and 3 replications under a calcareous soil in the research farm of the research and education center for agriculture and natural resources, and it was implemented in Tehran province in 2014. The waste compost factor included three levels of urban waste compost consumption (0, 10 and 20 tons per hectare) and the nitrogen factor included three levels of pure nitrogen consumption (zero, 100 and 200 kg per hectare). Each experimental plot consisted of six crop lines with a length of three meters and a distance between the rows of 60 cm. Planting operations were carried out in the second half of September with Varamin broadleaf spinach variety. Harvesting took place on November 30. The data obtained from the experiment were analyzed using F test and SAS software version 9.1. The average of the data was also performed using Duncan's multi-range test at the five percent probability level.

The results showed that the highest fresh yield of spinach was 67.3 ton.ha-1 due to the use of 10 ton.ha-1 of MSWC whit 200 kg.ha-1 nitrogen. Nitrate concentration in spinach and soil was increased by use of MSWC and nitrogen. Data showed that the highest nitrate concentration in spinach was 3200 mg.kg-1 fresh weight due to the application of 20 tons per hectare of MSWC and 200 kg.ha-1 nitrogen, which was more than the national standard of Iran. Assessing the health risk of nitrate in spinach showed that in the consumption of municipal waste compost at a rate of 10 tons per hectare with a consumption of 100 kg.ha-1 nitrogen, the nitrate content of the spinach product is 1900 mg. kg-1 fresh weight which was less than the maximum permissible standard for nitrate in national Iranian standard. The base of the results, the maximum daily intake of spinach was 137 g for the person and 47 g for the baby. Excessive amounts of these levels will endanger their health. Meanwhile, data showed that in 20 ton. ha-1 MSWC whit use of 200 kg.ha-1 nitrogen treatment, the maximum allowed consumption of spinach was only 81 grams per day for adults and 28 grams per day for a child. Therefore, to order to maintain the health of the consumer, use of 10 ton.ha-1 MSWC with 100 kg.ha-1 nitrogen is recommended.

The results of this research showed that in the same soil conditions as the place where this research was carried out, the consumption of more than 10 tons per hectare of municipal waste compost and the consumption of more than 100 kg of pure nitrogen caused an increase in the nitrate limit in spinach and increased the risk for consumption. Therefore, it is recommended to use 10 tons per hectare of municipal waste compost and 100 kg per hectare of pure nitrogen to produce spinach while respecting the maximum allowed nitrate concentration.