نشریه بوم شناسی کشاورزی
سال پانزدهم شماره 3 (پاییز 1402)

Intercropping as an approach for development of sustainable agriculture systems is pursuing the purposes such as creating ecological balance, further exploitation of resources, increase the quantity and quality of yield and reduce losses due to pests, diseases and weeds and reduce the dependence of farmers to pesticides, to maintain product quality and marketability. Jahani et al (2007) reported that intercropping of lentil and cumin has significantly increased dry weight of vegetative organs, biological yield, 1000-seed weight and number of seeds per cumin umbrella and seed yield. Legume/non-legume intercropping system due to the beneficial use of resources produces more yields. In review of about the fennel and fenugreek intercropping, intercropping of the two plants significantly increased the fennel seed yield compared with monoculture.

The experiment was conducted in 2014-2015 growing season based on randomized complete block design with three replications at Agricultural Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Experimental treatments were 25% mung bean + 75% fennel, 50% mung bean + 50% fennel, 75% mung bean + 25% fennel, monoculture of mung bean and monoculture of fennel. Species were sown at the same time in 12/06/2015 in rows with a distance of 50 cm. At harvesting time, dry matter, seed yield and yield components of these crops were measured. Yield advantages of intercrops over monocultures were compared by land equivalent ratios. Seeds of fennel were analyzed for essential oil content.  

The highest seed yield, biomass and essential oil of fennel for monoculture with 1460.4, 12286.4 and 50.4 kg per hectare respectively and the lowest values for 25% fennel + 75% mung bean treatment with 263.2, 5843.3 and 8.1 kg per hectare respectively were observed. Also, the highest seed yield and biomass of mung bean for monoculture with 2167.1 and 8900.5 kg per hectare respectively and the lowest values for 25% fennel + 75% mung bean treatment with 740.5 and 2540.5 kg per hectare respectively were observed. The highest essential oil contents of fennel with 3.56% was observed in ratio of 50% fennel + 50% mung bean and the lowest value was observed in 25% fennel + 75% mung bean with 3.1%. It seems that interspecific competition between fennel and mung bean due to the abiotic stresses (competition) led to increasing essential oil percent in intercrops. The highest essential oil yield of fennel was observed in monoculture with 50.4 kg/ha and the lowest value was observed in 25% fennel + 75% mung bean with 8.1 kg/ha. The highest mung bean harvest index was 28% in 25% mung bean + 75% fennel and the lowest was observed in 50% mung bean + 50% fennel with 23.5%. Also, the highest fennel harvest index was observed with 12% in monoculture and the lowest in 25% fennel + 75% mung bean with 4.5%. The highest value of total land equivalent ratio (1.07) was obtained in ratio of 50% mung bean + 50% fennel indicating 7 percent yield advantage of intercropping compared to pure stands of species of these two products compare to each other that represents of showing the more efficient use of land. The lowest value by intercrops of land equivalent ratio was observed in ratio of 25% mung bean + 75% fennel which was 9% lower than the monoculture.

In general, intercropping of fennel with mung bean, had positive effect on biological and seed yield of two species as well as percent and yield of fennel essential oil. So, in order to reduce the consumption of chemical fertilizers in sustainable agriculture and as for nitrogen biological fixation ability of mung bean, intercropping this plant with fennel can be increased resources efficiency and improve of the quality and quantity yield of fennel.

Most research on intercropping cultivation in the past has focused on seed yield and yield components, and less attention has been paid to below-ground interaction processes. However, the connection of plants in the below-ground sector is a vital issue in identifying the mechanism of competition and productivity in intercropping cultivation. Meanwhile, the selection of a legume plant due to the biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) increases the productivity in intercropping cultivation. However, the BNF by the legume component can be affected by the component crop in intercropping cultivation. Therefore, creating the optimum conditions for the BNF in planting ratios plays an essential role in the dynamics of inter-species interaction. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the interactions of the below-ground sector and the percentage of nitrogen derived from the atmosphere in different ratios of intercropping cultivation.

A field experiment was conducted for two years (2018-19) at the research farm of Sari agricultural science and natural resources university, Iran (33º, 36ʹ N, 53º, 03ʹ E with 43 m altitude). The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. The experimental treatment was 75% soybean + 25% niger, 50% soybean + 50% niger, 25% Soybean+75% niger based on the replacement method and monoculture. For example, a 25:75 combination consisted of three rows of planting a soybean and one row of niger and vice versa in the 75:25 combinations. The 50:50 also included planting two rows of each of the studied plants. This study investigated the percentage of nitrogen derived from the atmosphere, nitrogen yield, total enzymatic activity of the soil, and root activity in different planting ratios.

The percentage of nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (Ndfa) in all different planting ratios was higher than a single soybean crop. This trend continued until it reached 90 days after planting. At 75 and 90 days after planting, the highest Ndfa has related to 50:50 and 75:25 planting ratios in both cultivation years. Also, the yield of Ndfa was higher than expected in planting ratios, and its value increased further as it approached the final stages of growth. In addition to the above, the total microbial activity of soil in different ratios of intercropping cultivation was higher than the monoculture of the studied plants. Its amount in 50:50 planting ratio was 16.38 and 31.69% higher than monoculture soybean (0: 100) and niger (0: 100) at 60 days after planting, respectively. The most increased total microbial activity of the ground in niger and soybean plants in the middle and late stages of growth was observed at a depth of 0-20 and 10-30 cm, respectively. Also, niger plant in different ratios of intercropping cultivation, while increasing root activity, have a higher number of secondary compounds in root extract. In general, the increase in root activity in the late stages of growth was accompanied by a decrease in the number of rows of niger plants, especially in the planting ratio of 75:25. Also, the total phenol and flavonoids in the niger root extract increased to 105 days after planting and then decreased. Thus, in general, different ratios of intercropping cultivation were more successful in producing secondary compounds than the monoculture of niger.

Increasing the significance of nitrogen derived from the atmosphere and the other activity of niger root as a complementary plant in intercropping cultivation ratios can play an essential role in the dynamics of underground sector interactions intercropping cultivation patterns. In addition to the above results and based on the total microbial activity of the soil, the complementary structure of niger and soybean root in intercropping cultivation can affect the ability of interspecific competition in intercropping cultivation by distinguishing ecological niche even in a short period.

 Organic fertilizer tea is a treated solution of organic fertilizers that contains a variety of organic compounds, nutrients and a wide range of microorganisms and their metabolites. In recent years production and use of organic tea as a liquid biological fertilizer or biological pesticides is expanding towards sustainable agriculture. There are many benefits to using tea compost, including providing the nutrients for plant which can reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. A variety of organic compounds can be used to make tea. In the preparation of aerobic organic tea, except for the type of organic matter, preparation conditions such as particle size, temperature, aeration time and fertilizer to water ratio can affect the chemical and biological properties of the produced tea (Shaban et al., 2015). In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of aeration time and fertilizer to water ratio on some chemical properties of cow manure and vermicompost tea.

 An experiment was conducted based on completely randomized design with factorial arrangement and three replications. The treatments included aeration time (0, 24, 48 and 72 hours), fertilizer to water ratio (1:10, 1:25 and 1:50) and type of organic fertilizer (vermicompost and cow manure). The part passed through a 2 mm sieve and the rest on a 0.5 mm sieve of air-dried cow manure and vermicompost were used to determination of some chemical properties of organic fertilizers and making tea. After preparing the ratios with distilled water, an air pump was used for aeration. Changes in acidity (pH), electrical conductivity, dissolved organic carbon, mineral forms of nitrogen, dissolved phosphorus and potassium in organic fertilizers tea (cow manure and vermicompost) were evaluated.

 The characteristics of the studied organic fertilizers showed that the total amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in vermicompost was higher than cow manure. According to the results of analysis of variance, among the main effects, the effect of organic matter type on soluble organic carbon, nitrate and the effect of ratio on nitrate were not significant. The interaction of organic matter type and time on electrical conductivity and the interaction effect of organic matter type and ratio on dissolved organic carbon was not significant. The effect of two-factor interactions on nitrate was not significant. Among the three-factor interactions, the effect of organic matter type, time and ratio on electrical conductivity, acidity (pH), organic carbon and nitrate was not significant. The results showed that aeration decreased the pH and increased the electrical conductivity in both cow manure and vermicompost tea. Despite the higher total amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in vermicompost, cow manure tea contained higher amounts of soluble ammonium, phosphorus and potassiumcompared to vermicompost tea. The chemical structure of organic matter and the distribution of element in different organic and inorganic fractions can be effective on the dissolution of the mineral part and the biological decomposition of organic part. Changes in the ratio and aeration time had no significant effect on the amount of ammonium and soluble phosphorus in vermicompost tea. In cow manure tea the highest percentage of increase in soluble phosphorus and potassium was obtained by increasing the aeration time up to 72 hours compared to the zero time (without aeration) in a ratio of 1:50. In general, organic carbon decreased as a result of aeration, and only at a ratio of 1:10, this reduction was not significant at 48 and 72 hours. The only factor affecting the amount of nitrate was the aeration time and compared to zero time the amount of nitrate decreased at 24 and 48 hours and increased at 72 hours.

 The results showed that the effect of aeration time and fertilizer to water ratio on nutrient concentrations in teas made from cow manure and vermicompost was different. Despite the higher total concentration of nutrients in vermicompost, the vermicompost tea contained lower amounts of nutrients compared to cow manure tea. In other words, the total amount of nutrients in organic fertilizer cannot determine their amount in the produced tea.

In the conventional agricultural systems, the excessive use of chemical inputs, such as chemical fertilizers, increased the agricultural productivity. Detrimental implications from intensive agricultural practices and long-term use of chemical fertilizers have been well evidenced on the environment and human health. Intercropping system and application of organic fertilizers and biofertilizers including vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are recommended in the development of sustainable agricultural systems. The objectives were evaluating the effect of different fertilizer sources on the quantity and quality characteristics of Salvia officinalis L.

The experiment consisted of two successive phases at the Miandoab, Iran in 2019-2020. The first was cultivation of spring green manure until the soft dough stage of barley and flowering stage of hairy vetch then returned to the soil, and the second phase was cultivation of medicinal plant of sage. Two species, barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), were used as green manure. In second phase, a field experiment study was carried out as split plot in time based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 16 treatments and three replications. The main plot factor was eight different fertilizer sources including control (C), barley monoculture (B), hairy vetch monoculture (V), 75% V + 25% B, 50% V + 50% B and 25% V + 75% B, AMF: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Rhizophagus intraradices) and vermicompost. Also the sub plot factor was harvesting time (first and second harvest). In AM fungi treatments, 80 g of the soil containing mycorrhizal fungi hyphae and the remains of the root and spores was added to soil in planting times. Also, vermicompost (2 t ha-1) was applied to the soil before planting. Analysis of variance of the data and mean comparison based on least significant difference (LSD) test and interaction effect slicing of different fertilizer sources × harvesting time were carried out by using of SAS 9.3 statistical software.

The plant height, number of lateral branches, number of leaves, chlorophyll index, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, essential oil percentage and yield was significantly affected by interaction of diffirent fertilizer sources×harvesting time. The highest of dry matter yield was achieved under AMF followed by 50% V+ 50% B. Also the highest of chlorophyll index and essential oil percentage of sage was obtained in 50% V + 50% B and first harvest. Also, the first harvesting time increased by 33.9, 10.7 and 40.7% this trait in comparison with second harvest. In addition, the maximum of essential oil yield was observed in AMF followed by 50% V+ 50% B in first harvest. Chemical analysis of the essential oil of sage demonstrated that in all treatements, cis-Thujone, 1, 8-cineole and camphor were the main dominant components. The maximum of cis-Thujone, 1, 8-cineole content was achieved in 50% V+ 50% B and second harvest. Also, the highest of camphor observed in 25% V+ 75% B treatment and first harvest. The roots of green manure plants can uptake nutrients from the lower layers of soil and transfer them to the aerial parts of plant. By incorporating green manure, the sage growth characteristics improved as a result of increasing soil microbiological processes and releasing of nutrients. Also, mycorrhizal fungus inoculation enhanced plant performance by increasing root surface area, turgor pressure adjustment, gradual availability to nutrients and water. Since essential oils are terpenoid components so that for the biosynthesis of precursor compounds (isoprenoids) such as isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate necessary Acetyl-CoA, NADPH and ATP and mineral nutrients like N and P. Treating plots with 50% V + 50% B and AMF increase the essential oil percentage and compounds through releasing of nitrogen and phosphorus into the soil. Also, the higher morphological traits, essential oil percentage and yield in the first harvest than the second harvest can be attributed to longer growing period and optimal growth conditions (day length, sunlight, ambient temperature).Treating plots with green manure and AMF improve the morphological traits, quantity and quality of sage essential oil through adjustment the soil chemical properties. According to the quantity and quality indicators, application of 50% V+ 50% B as green manure and AMF can be suggested as an efficient and eco-friendly agricultural strategy in sage cultivation.

 Sustainability analysis of agricultural ecosystems is important in their decision-making and proper management. Quantifying the sustainability of cropping agroecosystems can provide solutions to achieve positive economic and environmental results. Emergy analysis can be used to determine the degree to which ecological and economic systems are sustainable. By employing this method, we can gain a better understanding of ecological and economic systems and their interactions. Emergy analysis quantifies both environmental and economic costs associated with achieving sustainability, allowing for integrated management of ecological and economic factors. Emergy analysis is currently being used in agriculture to determine the sustainability of various scales of production systems. The present study was conducted to monitor the sustainability and productivity of the use of inputs in wheat, barley and alfalfa production systems using emergetic indicators, using information collected from the smallholder in Boland village, Sistan, Iran during 2019.

 Boland village is located in Teymurabad village, approximately 17 kilometers north of Zabol city in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Boland village's agricultural composition includes wheat, barley, and alfalfa cultivation. 148.9 hectares were designated for wheat cultivation, 50.8 hectares for barley cultivation, and 13.5 hectares for alfalfa cultivation during the study year. The inputs used included environmental renewable and non-renewable resources as well as purchased resources. These data were gathered during the study period using a database of agricultural organizations, verbal estimates, field measurements, and researcher observations. The first step is to analyze the system's boundaries and draw an energy diagram to classify the system's inputs. Emergy analysis's second step is to create emergy evaluation tables. After quantifying each system's input flow in joules, grams, or Rials, the inputs were multiplied by their transformities to obtain the solar emjoule (sej). Specific emergy, unit emergy value, renewable emergy percentage, emergy investment ratio, emergy yield ratio, environmental loading ratio, environmental sustainability index, and emergy exchange ratio were all used in this study.

 Free renewable and non-renewable flows accounted for 50.79%, 45.89% and 42.29% of the total input current of wheat, barley and alfalfa production systems, respectively. The large share of free domestic inputs indicates that the majority of study farms are non-industrial systems that are managed in a semi-traditional, low-input manner. The emergy input of non-renewable environmental resources was 2.73E+17, 6.42E+17, and 4.99E+17 sej/ha in wheat, barley, and alfalfa systems, respectively. Wheat and barley production systems have high emergy flows due to the high loss of soil organic matter and soil erosion in these systems. In wheat, barley, and alfalfa production systems, the highest proportions of purchased exergy resources were associated with animal manure, nitrogen fertilizer, and phosphorus fertilizer, respectively. In wheat, barley, and alfalfa production systems, the unit emergy value was 4.44E+05, 3.80E+05, and 3.64E+05 sej/J, respectively. The higher exergy efficiency of alfalfa production systems compared to wheat and barley production systems may be attributed to alfalfa's comparable economic performance to other systems. EYR was calculated to be 2.03, 1.85, and 1.73 in wheat, barley, and alfalfa production systems, respectively. The reason for the higher EYR in wheat production is that less purchased resources are used and a greater proportion of inputs are provided by purchased resources. Additionally, the ELR values for wheat, barley, and alfalfa production systems in Boland village were 17.36, 16.09, and 7.08, respectively.The calculated values ​​for emergy sustainability indices (ESI and ESI*) showed that the ecological sustainability of the alfalfa production system is higher than other study systems. The main reason for the greater sustainability of this system was the large share of input energy related to free environmental inputs and economic renewable resources. Also, low energy exchangeable ratio (EER), environmental sustainability resulting from market impact, less emergy expended in the production of each output unit and higher productivity of total production factors indicate a greater comparative advantage of the alfalfa production system.

 In general, the evaluations based on the calculation of emergy-based indicators showed that in the dominant agricultural systems of the Boland village, Sistan, attention to practical solutions in the comprehensive management of the production system, especially protection of soil organic matter and prevention of soil erosion, can have a significant impact on ecological sustainability.

One of the major factors restricting the crop production is nitrogen. Nitrogen has an important role in achieving maximum yield and it improves the yield and quality of all crops (Ullah et al., 2010). In the arid and semi-arid regions of Iran, the deficiency of organic matter in the soil as the natural resource required by the plant and the moisture tension, are the major factors of absorbing nitrogen and after moisture tension, nitrogen tension is the major limiting factor of crop production (Sadri, 2017). Nitroxin fertilizer contains nitrogen fixing bacteria that fix the air nitrogen, balance the high-consumption and micronutrient elements, synthesis and secretion of plant growth stimulants and as a result, protection of plant against pathogens, biological and non-biological stresses.One way to examine the efficiency of the fertilizers, especially nitrogen, is studying nitrogen use efficiency. This indicator shows the increase in yield by each unit increase in the input (Delbert and Ulter, 1989). One way to manage different nutritional resources is to evaluate the nitrogen use efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the function and indicators of nitrogen efficiency in manure treatments and different resources of nitrogen in safflower.

This experiment was conducted as randomized complete block design with three replications in the research farm of faculty of agriculture university of Jiroft in 2018-2019 year. The first factor included different sources of nitrogen fertilizer in six levels of urea fertilizer, urea with sulfur coating, ammonium nitrate, nitroxin, nano nitrogen and control, the second factor included animal manure in two levels of consumption and non-consumption was considered. The intra row and inter row distance was 30 and 10 cm respectively with 2×3 m2 plot size. Drip irrigation was used and during the different plant growth stages, no chemical pesticide and herbicide was used nitrogen of seed, leaf and shoot was carried out using Kjeldhal method. Data were analyzed by SAS software version 9.4. Mean values were compared according to Duncan test at P < 0.05.

The results showed that manure and difference resource of nitrogen has significant effect on the seed yield, seed nitrogen percentage, biomass, plant nitrogen content, the efficiency of use, physiological, absorption, productivity and nitrogen harvest index in safflower. The highest nitrogen in seed (3.46%), biomass (1.05%), seed yield (284 g.m-2), seed nitrogen content (1138.8 g.m-2), and biomass nitrogen content (752.5 g.m-2) obtained in manure + nitroxin treatment. the results indicated the positive and significant effect of manure and biological fertilizer on the improvement of yield and nitrogen efficiency. The interaction of manure and different nitrogen fertilizers on seed yield was significant. The highest and lowest seed yield obtained by manure + nitroxin treatment (284 g.m-2) and not using manure and control treatment (68.3 g.m-2) respectively.In safflower, using nitrogen fertilizers can increase seed yield by affecting the branches of the plant (Weiss, 2000). The researchers reported that the use of nitrogen, compared to control (not using nitrogen) increased safflower seed yield.According to the results, manure treatment compared to not using manure treatment showed 24.3% increase in seed nitrogen. Nitroxin and nano nitrogen fertilizers have the highest seed nitrogen percentage (3.46 and 3.21, respectively) and the lowestnitrogen was in control treatment (1.9%). Manure + nitroxin treatment had the highest nitrogen in biomass and plant. In safflower, the use of manure increased the absorbed nitrogen percentage compared to control treatment (Ghanbari et al., 2016). In this regard, the researchers observed the increase in absorption efficiency and use of nitrogen in saffron through using organic fertilizers compared to chemical fertilizers. The results of this research showed that using biological fertilizers, especially nitroxin, has positive effect in increasing seed number in plant, seed yield, days to maturing, nitrogen percent, absorbed phosphorous by plant and nitrogen physiological efficiency (Arab-Niasar et al., 2019).

The results of this experiment showed that using manure and biological fertilizer improves nitrogen efficiency compared to not using manure condition. It seems that the combined use of manure with chemical fertilizers reduces the loss and washing nutritional elements, especially nitrogen. The use of organic fertilizers to improve soil structure, maintain water and access to required elements by plants should be considered as a priority. Regarding the highest yield in manure + nitroxin treatment, it is suggested to use nitrogen fertilizers with biological origin.

 Drought is one of the most important environmental stressors that adversely affects agricultural products, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Using Trichoderma fungus along with biopolymers such as chitosan is one of the ways to reduce drought stress. Trichoderma fungus as plant growth-promoting fungus is the most common fungal and soil-modifying species that are able to directly with plant roots in the rhizosphere and improve growth as well as biological control of living stresses such as pathogenic fungi and non-living stresses such as drought, salinity and heavy metals. On the other hand, one of the effective ways to protect the plant in conditions of low irrigation is the use of anti-transpirants, including the biostimulant of chitosan, which markedly limits transpiration from the plant surface. The anti-transipirants action of chitosan can be attributed to the involvement of chitosan in the abscisic acid pathways, which closes the stomata and thus reduces transpiration. Chitosan is readily soluble in water and organic acids. Therefore, it can be used in various methods such as mixing with soil, foliar spraying and impregnation with seeds in agriculture.

 This research was conducted in a split factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design. The main plot factor was irrigation interval in three levels (two days as normal irrigation and three and four days as deficit irrigation conditions) and sub-plots were inoculated with T. longibrachiatum at two levels (inoculation and uninoculated control) and chitosan at three levels (0, 0.2 and 0.4 g/L). Each experimental plot consisted of three planting lines two and a half meters long and one meter wide .T. longibrachiatum was obtained from Tabarestan Agricultural Genetics and Biotechnology Research Institute. The first irrigation was done simultaneously with planting basil. Up to one month after sowing the seeds (six to eight leaf stage of plants), the plots were irrigated evenly with tubes and from this stage onwards, irrigation treatments were applied. Pesticides and herbicides were not used during the experiment and weed control was done manually. Chitosan was prepared from Sarina Teb store and prepared in three levels of zero, 0.2 and 0.4 g/l and sprayed in three stages: vegetative, before flowering and 50% flowering.

 The results showed that with increasing the irrigation period from two to four days, the morphological traits of basil, such as root length and stem length, leaf dry weight, root, stem and dry matter yield decreased. Also, physiological traits of basil such as carotenoids and chlorophyll meter increased while chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll decreased. Application of 0.2 g/L of chitosan inoculated plants increased chlorophyll b content by 68%. The highest percentage and yield of essential oil in both normal and irrigation deficit conditions were obtained when plants inoculated with Trichoderma and foliary sprayed by chitosan. The highest percentage and yield of essential oil were observed with an average of 0.88 and 42.87% in normal irrigation conditions, application of Trichoderma and zero level of chitosan, respectively. According to the results, increasing the irrigation cycle along with chitosan application and fungal inoculation increased the percentage and yield of essential oil. However, by increasing the irrigation cycle, chitosan alone decreased the percentage and yield of essential oil and only in the three-day irrigation cycle, it increased the percentage of essential oil compared to the control.

 Overall, the findings showed the positive effect of concomitant use of Trichoderma fungus and chitosan on improving the growth of sweet basil and increasing drought resistance.

Secondary or double cropping not only increases production per unit area but also makes optimal use of other production resources. Faba bean responds to and changes its environment by altering on-site soil fertility, microclimate, and co-habitats of wild flora and fauna. Besides its worldwide use for food and feed, extensive knowledge exists about its ability to symbiotically fix and add nitrogen to the soil, making additional soil nitrogen available and thereby enhancing and sustaining soil productivity. The optimum planting date, optimizes the use of climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, day length, as well as matching flowering time with appropriate temperature. Planting date should be set so that overheating does not harm the plant, especially during the flowering period. A change in planting date may also overshadow the plant's yield by affecting the adaptation of plant growth to environmental conditions, vegetative and reproductive growth (Oplinger et al., 2000). Therefore, knowing the thermal indicators such as the heat accumulation unit, which in most sources is referred to as the degree of maturity days. And all its other mathematical derivations are the same as hlio-thermal unit (HTU), growing degree days (GDD), pheno-thermal index (PTI), crop heat unit (CHU), heat use efficiency (HUE), relative temperature disparity (RTD), It can provide basic principles for determining the phenological stages and the optimum planting date (Sreenivas et al., 2010).

In order to investigate the effect of off-season sowing date (summer) on the accumulation of thermal units, yield and yield components in faba bean var. Luzde otono, an experiment was carried out as split plot based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications during 2017-2018 for two years at Agricultural Research Station Gharakhil (gaem shahr). Experimental treatments were sowing date in four levels of June 10, 30 and July 20, and August 10, main plot and row spacing in three levels of 45, 60 and 75 cm as sub plots. During vegetative and reproductive phases, weeds were controlled and data were recorded on days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, harvest index, number pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, and Green pod yield. Also in maturity, after removing the effect marginal, yield and yield components were calculated. Data were analyzed using the SAS. Ver. 9.1 and figures were drawn by EXCEL and means compared by using DMRT at the 5% probability level.

The analysis of variance showed that the effect of year and planting date and their interactions on number of pods per plant, pod length, plant height and green pod yield were significant (P≤0.01). The unit of heliothermal was greater in 2018 (from 0.47 to 0.88) compared to 2017 (from 0.45 to 0.86), this was due to the increase in average air temperature and the number of sunshine hours. The highest heat use efficiency (HUE) was obtained related to the third sowing date (July 20) in 2018. Also, among the studied indicators, the heat use efficiency (HUE) and the efficiency of consumption of sunny hours (RUE) as well as estimated thermal requirement of faba bean var. Luzde otono in different sowing dates and at different stages of development and in this direction, due to having a constant and logical trend, they have a relative superiority over other indicators such as GDD and PTI.

The results of mean comparisons showed that the highest green pods yield Gained var. Luzde otono in the third sowing date (July 20) with 10422 (kg ha-1) and row spacing 60 cm with 10723 (kg ha-1). Based on the results of this research, To escaped from heat and thermal stress during the reproductive stage of Faba bean in mid-summer and also poding did not coincide with a drop in temperature at the beginning of autumn to achieve the highest yield Faba bean var. Luzde otono should be planted in August.

It is estimated that by 2050, the world's population will increase by 30 to 35 percent, so about 60 percent growth in agricultural production must be achieved for proper nutrition. Food security refers to a situation in which people at all times, physically, socially, and economically, have access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food that meets their nutritional needs and preferences for an active and healthy life. One of the most important challenges of the 21st century to improve food security is the preservation of agricultural biodiversity. Biodiversity is a key factor in ensuring that adequate food is available at any given scale and is often assessed in terms of genetic composition as well as their stability locally. Conventional single-crop farming systems depend on a small number of high-yield crops and their expansion, in addition to environmental problems, led to significant reductions in plant biodiversity. There are different approaches to addressing food security and biodiversity protection concerns. This study aimed to investigate food security and effective factors in the protection of agricultural biodiversity to ensure sustainable food security.

This research has been performed in Anzali port. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical method. This study was conducted in two stages: 1. Food security status: information required for research through library and documentary studies (detailed results of the country's census and village identity) and part of it through field studies (observation, interview, and questionnaire). In this regard, in the first stage, a questionnaire related to food security indicators such as food adequacy, health, nutrition, and availability to have an active and healthy life was used. Randomly selected and a total of 90 households in the city were interviewed. 2. Study of the role of agriculture. Biodiversity Conservation Indicators in Ensuring Sustainable Food Security, 100 farm managers were surveyed in 10 villages, and the questions were divided into 5 groups: economic, social, educational, infrastructure, and organizational. Finally, SPSS software and Pearson correlation were used to plot the chart and statistical analysis.

The city has food adequacy, access to food, and healthy activity, which is about 8 hours a day, but in terms of healthy living away from disease, nutrition, and having a healthy food free of chemical inputs, is poor. Improving food security is especially important for developing countries where social, political, cultural, and economic developments can improve food security. The government should adopt policies such as global cash food subsidies to improve food security, direct support for low-income households, and allocate subsidies based on the geographical location of these households. Our results show that even in a city, the relationship between socio-economic factors and caloric intake can vary from region to region. Thus, if governments choose specific policies (for example, education policies), they should target provinces where food security is negatively correlated with calorie intake. Simple income-raising policies are not always an effective way to improve calorie intake in rural areas. Relevant and private government institutions should focus on other socio-economic factors and prioritize them in improving calorie intake in the family and improving health outcomes. In all villages except the exempt village, infrastructure factors have the greatest impact on maintaining biodiversity, and in the exempt village, economic factors have the greatest impact. The highest standard deviation is seen in the infrastructure factors related to the villages of Torbegodeh, Talebabad, ShilehSar, Khomeyran, Ashpala, Abkenar, and Kapurchal. The most standard deviation in other villages is related to economic factors. In Torbegodeh and Rudpasht villages, the importance of educational factors, Talebabad, Shileh Sar, and Kapurchal villages, the importance of social factors, Khomeyran, Maaf, and Ashpala villages, the importance of infrastructure factors, and Abkenar village, environmental factors are more.

In general, in this region, rice fields with high inputs of resources and low crop diversity and environmental impacts can lead to environmental feedback in different areas, for example, reducing biodiversity and soil fertility, which is more dependent on the base. Fossil fuel inputs for robust production stability. To this end, focusing on the production of agricultural products for domestic consumption to increase food security by supporting rural livelihoods and the production of environmentally sustainable food should be a priority.

Today, agricultural systems are considered as the center and main axis of all activities related to the development of sustainable agriculture in Iran. Obviously, the more efforts to expand the sustainability of the exploitation systems of the regions, the better the situation will be in terms of reducing energy loss, production costs, increasing performance and conserving resources, and preventing waste. From an ecological point of view, the per capita consumption of energy and materials used in agriculture has increased faster than population growth, so that the continuation of this process endangers the health, sustainability and well-being of society and causes the destruction of ecological resources. For this reason, any exploitation of nature should be done after evaluating the resources and within the capabilities and capacities of the environment. Recognizing the problems and bottlenecks of the specialized tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultivation system in Golestan province as well as formulating appropriate solutions to solve the environmental problems of tobacco cultivation is of great importance in the sustainable development of this product. Ecological footprint is a valid indicator for assessing the sustainability of agricultural products. This index makes it possible to calculate the amount of pressure that humans exert on environment to produce crops. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to study the environmental impacts of tobacco cultivation due to the importance of environment and sustainable agricultural.

In this study, the environmental sustainability of two types of greenhouse tobacco (Virginia) and dry shade (Barley) was evaluated. The statistical population of this research is tobacco growers, Flue-Cured tobacco and Air-Cured tobacco in Golestan province. The statistical sample size was estimated to be about 160 people using Cochran's formula. The data collection tool was a questionnaire that was randomly distributed and completed among 100 Flue-Cured tobacco farmers and 60 Air-Cured tobacco farmers in 2019. To assess the environmental effects, the ecological footprint index was used. For this purpose, the ecological footprint was calculated based on the type of field operations in two parts: direct and indirect footprint.

The results of the study indicated that the total energy consumption for the production of Air-Cured tobacco was 97327 MJ/ha. Electricity with 44.72% had the largest share in energy consumption followed by nitrogen with 16.69% and diesel with 16.61%. The total energy consumed to produce one hectare of Flue-Cured tobacco was 73,184 MJ, electricity has largest share followed by diesel. Indirect ecological footprints were calculated for, Flue-Cured tobacco and Air-Cured tobacco 1.16 and 1.54 gha, respectively. In Air-Cured tobacco Electricity with 38.19% nitrogen fertilizer with 18.67% and diesel with 18.58% have the greatest impact on ecological footprint.  The results show the total ecological footprint (direct and indirect) Air-Cured tobacco (4.05) and Flue-Cured tobacco (3.67) equivalent to the global hectare (gha). The results of ecological footprint studies in both types of tobacco indicate that the highest environmental impact resulting from crop production is related to electricity input. In the Flue-Cured production process, the electricity consumption is related to the water pump (electric wells) and the greenhouse (fan for ventilation), but in the Air-Cured tobacco, it is only related to the water pump consumption.

Sustainability indicators are a tool that can be used to raise the awareness of tobacco growers about the environmental effects of their actions. According to the results of this study, the use of electricity, water, fertilizer and diesel inputs has the greatest impact on ecological instability, so proper management of the use of these inputs is a necessity, such as the use of appropriate technologies, fertilizer use according to plant needs. Reducing the intensity of tillage by using appropriate machinery and paying attention to climatic conditions as well as increasing the awareness of tobacco growers with the help of educational-promotional activities can be effective in reducing the consumption of inputs and optimal use.

Rainfall is a predominant climatic element that affects the density and location of agricultural systems as well as the choice of farming operations. The distribution, intensity, duration, and type of rainfall are very important at different stages such as cultivation, emergence, tillering, stem formation, and flowering. Kurdistan province has regular rainfall with an average rainfall of more than 500 mm per year. Therefore, Kurdistan province is one of the most prone rain-fed areas in Iran. As well his province with an area under cultivation of 120,000 hectares is one of the most important areas of chickpea growing in the country. However, the distribution of rainfall is not the same in all regions of this province, and therefore it is necessary to study the potential risk of chickpea production in Kurdistan province.

Long-term climatic data were collected from 15 stations for a period of 20 years from 1991 to 2011. The results of spatial and temporal analysis determined the climatic-agronomic indices of the suitable region and the amount of dryland chickpea production. Kurdistan province was divided into three climatic regions; High-risk or unsuitable climatic-agro-area (0.23% of the total area), medium-risk area or with relative proportion for production (59.71% of the total area), low-risk or suitable climatic-agro-area (37.96%) From the whole area).

The results of spatial and temporal analysis determined the climatic-agronomic indices of the suitable region and the amount of dryland chickpea production. Kurdistan province was divided into three climatic regions; High-risk or unsuitable climatic-agro-area (0.23% of the total area), medium-risk area or with relative proportion for production (59.71% of the total area), low-risk or suitable climate-agro-area (37.96%) From the whole area). The results of the study on the relationship between rainfall of vegetative stage and the potential of cultivation of dryland chickpeas in the region show except for a small part of Qorveh, Bijar, and Sarvabad cities which are in a weak degree. The whole region is in a very good degree in terms of supplying the required moisture, which is also due to the necessary rainfall at this time and the humidity of the storage capacity stored from the winter rains. The occurrence of suitable precipitations for the vegetative period in the whole region had the highest value compared to other developmental stages. The results of the study between the relationship between reproductive stage rainfall and cultivation potential of rainfed chickpeas in the region showed that Zarrineh station in the north of the region is weak due to unfavorable weather conditions at the beginning of the growing season and the developmental stages of the growing season in this region are delayed. At Zarrineh station, the critical reproductive stage occurs at a time of year when the probability of precipitation in Kurdistan has actually decreased and a part of the southeast of Qorveh city is one of the weak and critical areas. The rest of the province in terms of moisture supply for this stage of dryland chickpea development is in a suitable degree, which is due to the necessary rainfall in this period of development.

The results of the study show the relationship between rainfall of vegetative stage and cultivation potential of dryland chickpeas in the region, except for a small part of Qorveh, Bijar and Sarvabad counties, which are in a weak degree. The whole region is in a very good degree in terms of supplying the required moisture, which is also due to the necessary rainfall at this time and the humidity of the storage capacity stored from the winter rains. Occurrence of suitable precipitations for the vegetative period in the whole region had the highest value compared to other developmental stages.