فصلنامه فرآیند و کارکرد گیاهی
سال دوازدهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 57، مهر و آبان 1402)

Aqti (Sambucus ebulus L.) is one of the valuable medicinal plants that has a wide distribution along the forests, roadsides and meadows of northern Iran. Different organs of the plant, including leaf, stem, root and fruit, were collected to investigate the effect of elevation on some biochemical compounds, including phenol, flavonoid, antioxidant capacity and catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The sampling was carried out in late summer in Sari, Babool and Amol districts and at elevations of 0-100, 500-600 and 900-1000 meters above sea level with three replications in the form of a completely random design. The results indicated that elevation and the interaction of elevation and region had a significant effect on the amount of all secondary metabolites examined. With the increase in elevation, the amounts of CAT, GPX and APX enzymes have increased. Also, the antioxidant capacity has increased with the increase in elevation above sea level. Considering that these compounds are among the most important secondary compounds in medicinal plants, it can be concluded that the most effective compounds of the Aqti medicinal plant are found at high elevations. The highest correlation was determined between antioxidant capacity and flavonoid (r = 0.958); antioxidant capacity showed a significant correlation with all investigated traits (P≤0.01 and P≤0.05). In general, the results show that the medicinal plant Aqti is rich in antioxidant properties and can be used as a plant source of antioxidant compounds in the food and medicinal industries.

The effects of gibberellic acid on different levels of nitrogen in high yielding hybrid cultivars of wheat can be effective in increasing the quality and quantity of grain yield. In this study, we investigated the effect of the spraying of gibberellic acid on the desired concentration in different levels of nitrogen on the quantity and quality of grain of the Super Wheat hybrid cultivar in the Karaj and Hamadan regions, according to the split plot experiment in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. The main factor in this experiment included three different levels of nitrogen (60, 105 and 150 kg/ha) from urea sources; the second factor includes two levels of gibberellic acid (zero and 100 ppm) in two different climatic zones, Karaj and Hamadan. According to the results of the three effects of region, nitrogen and gibberellic acid on biological yield, grain yield, and plant height, the number of grains per spike, grain hardness, grain protein, and percentage of phosphorus, potash and zinc on grain with a 1% error were significant. The highest grain yield (14.23 ton/ha), zinc grain (42.93 mg/kg) to 150 kg/ha of nitrogen and gibberellic acid in Hamadan, respectively, and the highest biological yield (35.4 ton/ha) and (37.2 ton/ha) belonged to 150 kg/ha of nitrogen and gibberellic acid consumption in Hamadan, respectively. The highest grain potassium levels (11.69 g/kg) and (11.63 g/kg) were related to the treatment of 60 kg/ha nitrogen and gibberellic acid and the treatment of 150 kg of nitrogen and no gibberellic acid in Hamadan, respectively. The results showed that the use of gibberellic acid led to a decrease in nitrogen consumption, and the use of 100 mg/l of gibberellic acid reduced the consumption of nitrogen by 45 kg/ha, which reduced the cost of nitrogen and the environmental effects caused by the use of nitrogen.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of seaweed fertilizer on the improvement of physiological traits of soybeans in the research field of Shahrood University of Technology Faculty of Agriculture during two crop years, 2018–2019 and 2019–2020. The experiment was carried out factorially in the form of a randomized complete block design in three replications. The experimental factors included accelerated aging in two levels (control seeds and aged seeds) and seaweed fertilizer in three levels (control: no treatment, seed pretreatment and foliar spraying with a concentration of 0.3% seaweed fertilizer). Results showed that accelerated aging in the first and second years of the experiment caused a decrease of 15.11 and 13.33% in the amount of chlorophyll a in leaves of plants obtained from these seeds. In both years, the foliar application of seaweed fertilizer in normal and aging conditions caused a significant increase in the amount of chlorophyll a to a significant level. Accelerated aging in seeds caused an increase of 35.13, 12.46 and 22.22 percent of carotenoid, flavonoid and anthocyanin in the leaves of plants obtained from these seeds, respectively. Accelerated aging decreased by 0.86%, 0.90% and 33.18% of seed oil, protein and yield. The maximum levels of oil and protein were 19.74% and 38.31%, respectively, which belonged to foliar spraying and seed pretreatment treatments. Using seaweed fertilizer as seed pretreatment and foliar spraying increased yield by 36.49% and 21.67%, respectively, compared to the control. Finally, pre-treatment of seeds with seaweed fertilizer can be suggested to improve the effects of seed aging and increase yield in the soybeans.

In order to investigate the effect of yellow and blue nets and their installation time on the characteristics of figs, a factorial experiment was carried out in the form of a randomized complete block design with three factors in three replications on rainfed fig. By assessing many of the leaf and fruit features of figs, the results showed that there is a slight difference between the two times of the net installation. It also confirmed the superiority of trees with shading than without a covering net in terms of leaf properties (increased leaf width and reduced margin necrosis) and fruit quality (increase in size). In addition, colored nets were able to compensate for the lack of fruit water during ripening by maintaining the relative water content of the leaf and the optimal reduction of the leaf’s temperature in rainy conditions. The use of shaded nets in Sabz and Siah fig trees prolonged the storage life of their fresh fruits. There was a slight difference between the two-colored nets, the blue net was better than the yellow net, with an increase in some favorable characteristics, especially the rate of photosynthesis, fresh fruit storage life, titratable fruit acids up to 11.5 µmol m−2 s−1 ,14.1 days and 0.24, respectively. Installing a blue net on the fig tree in mid-May increased leaf photosynthesis. The use of shading improves the quality of the economic performance of figs and increases the economic efficiency of fig orchards. The use of the blue net had an economic advantage compared to the yellow net.

Eryngium caucasicum from the Apiaceae family, is native to the northern regions of Iran and has significant medicinal and nutritional properties. This paper has provided detailed morpho-anatomical characteristics of the leaves, peduncles, leaf tail, stem, and roots of Eryngium caucasicum by bright-field light microscopy. Also, the amount of phenol, flavonoid, and antioxidant activity with a spectrophotometer and the analysis of essential compounds of the aerial part with GC and GCMS have been presented. Morpho-anatomical features include the dicot-like leaves with palmate venation, isolateral mesophyll with palisade tissue on the upper and lower regions of the leaf, and much reduced spongy parenchyma; characteristic arrangement of the mechanical collenchyma tissue, especially in leaves; and characteristic wrinkles in the leaf cuticle. The stem and peduncle with longitudinal ribs contain collenchyma; there is a presence of aerenchyma in the peduncle and root; calcium oxalate druses and secretory channels in all the studied plant parts; and an absence of sclerenchyma in all investigated parts of the plant. The aerial parts of E. caucasicum had 37% essential oil, 53.9 mg of flavonoids per gram of dry matter, 48.79 mg per gram of dry matter, and 62.97 percent antioxidant activity. The main compounds in the essential oil of the aerial part include Piperitone (48.78%), ß-Sesquiphellandrene (12.64%), and (Z)-Falcarinol (7.85%), and (Z) ß-Farnesene (6.36 percent).

Microgreens are immature vegetables harvested after the development of the first true leaves, and they may contain higher nutritional value than mature vegetables. In this research, the nutritional value and antioxidant compounds of 13 varieties of basil microgreens have been investigated. The results showed a significant difference between microgreens in terms of all studied traits. As compared to the others, Violetto and Genovese microgreens gained the highest chlorophyll a, but Holy Basil was found to have the highest total carotenoids. Likewise, the highest and lowest contents of total phenol were found in Napoletano and Green basil, respectively. Also, the rate of anthocyanin in the microgreens varied from 0.078 to 0.148 mg/g of fresh weight. Furthermore, the highest antioxidant capacity was obtained in Napoletano and the lowest in Genovese. Among the 13 studied microgreens, Midnight basil and Purple basil cultivars demonstrated the highest concentration of ascorbic acid. In order to determine the most important biological traits effective in differentiating genotypes, factor analysis was employed. The first three factors accounted for 80.95% of the total variance. In addition, cluster analysis grouped 13 genotypes into five main groups. In conclusion, the results indicate that the microgreens provided by basil cultivars are good sources of antioxidant compounds and various nutrients.

Salinity stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses that diminishes the yield of crops in semi-arid and arid regions. To investigate the effect of salinity stress on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of different lentil genotypes, a split plots experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the salinity research farm of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in the 2021–2022 cropping year. The salinity levels of 2.5, 6, and 9 ds/m-1 six lentil genotypes were placed in the main plots and the secondary plots, respectively. The results showed that the carotenoids, phenols, leaf sodium contents, and biomass decreased with the increase in salinity stress level. The highest phenolic content of leaves was observed in salinity of 2.5 dS/m and MLC178 genotype, and with increasing stress intensity to 6 and 9 dS/m, the phenolic content of leaves decreased by 28 and 238%, respectively. MLC118 genotype had the highest activity of catalase enzyme under the condition of 2.5 dS/m and catalase enzyme activity decreased by 1.09 and 1.94 times with the increase of salinity stress to 6 and 9 dS/m, respectively. On the other hand, the highest biomass was observed at the level of 2.5 dS/m in the MLC117 genotype, which produced more biomass about two times compared to higher salinity levels. The MLC26 genotype had the highest proline content in leaves at a salinity stress level of 9 dS/m, when the salinity stress level decreased to 6 and 2.5 dS/m, the proline content of leaves decreased by 4% and 46%, respectively. In general, MLC117 and MLC12 genotypes were superior in most traits under salinity stress conditions.

Increasing concerns about the phenomenon of global warming caused by greenhouse gases have led to increased attention to the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. However, in the desert areas, stresses, especially dust stress, have made biological restoration operations difficult. In this research, the effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on the vegetative and physiological characteristics of Haloxylon aphyllm under the influence of dust (control and 1.5 g/m2/month) was investigated. In the conditions of dust application, the Zhihengliuela halotolerans strain compared to Bacillus pumilus increased total chlorophyll (236%) and decreased ascorbic acid (75%), soluble sugar (53%), and catalase enzyme activity (65%), respectively. Under dust conditions, the B. pumilus strain performed better in terms of total phenol (52%), proline (66%), peroxidase enzyme activity (79%), and total dry biomass (108%) than the Z. halotolerans strain. The results also showed that both bacteria were able to reduce ascorbic acid, total phenol content, proline, soluble sugar, catalase and peroxidase in Haloxylon aphyllum, which showed that the use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria can reduce free radicals and thereby prevent damage to the plant. The results of this research showed that plant growth promoting bacteria isolated from saline pasture plants can increase the seedling quality index under dust stress conditions and can help in the afforestation of Haloxylon aphyllum and the promotion of carbon dioxide sequestration in climate change conditions in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.

In order to investigate the effect of the biostimulant fertilizer (Companion and Bio-nutrient) and growing medium [soil (control), 75% soil + 25% coco peat and 50% soil + 50% coco peat] on the growth and some physiological traits of Rio Grande tomato, a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted in the research greenhouse of Shahid Madani University of Azarbaijan. The results showed that plant dry weight, yield, fruit volume, soluble solids content, chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins and titratable acidity were influenced by the interaction effects of experimental treatments. The number of flowers per cluster, number of flower clusters, anthocyanin content and total phenolic content were influenced by the independent effects of biological stimulants. Based on the results, the highest plant dry weight, yield and chlorophyll content were obtained in bio-nutreint fertilizer × 50% coco peat. An increase in fruit volume, soluble solids content and titratable acidity was obtained in 25 and 50% coco peat with both bio-fertilizer applications. Both biofertilizers increased the phenolic and vitamin C content in fruits. The overall results showed that the biostimulant and coco peat medium improved the growth and physiological traits of the plant in this study. The results are an important step in reducing the use of chemical fertilizers in tomato production and replacing them with environmentally friendly compounds.

The present study was performed to evaluate and compare the allelopathic effects of leaf aqueous extract and mulch of Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.) on cucumber (Cucumis sativus var. beith alpha) and black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.) seedlings in a completely randomized design. 21 days after treatment of seedlings with leaf aqueous extract (concentrations 5, 10, 15, 20 g L-1) and mulch (3% and 5% weight/volume), some morphological traits, membrane stability, proline and malondialdehyde content, total protein content and activity of polyphenol oxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase were analyzed. According to the results, although both aqueous extracts and mulch reduced the height and dry weight of aerial parts and the dry weight of roots in cucumber and black nightshade (compared to the control), the length of cucumber roots increased under the treatment of all the concentrations of aqueous extracts and mulch 3%. Evaluation of membrane stability index, proline and malondialdehyde content showed that the negative effect of mulch (3% and 5%) on black nightshade is significant. The treatment with aqueous extracts increased the activities of polyphenol oxidase and guaiacol peroxidase enzymes in cucumber (compared to the control), with the maximum ones in 20 g L-1 extract, while treatment with these extracts on black nightshade reduced the soluble protein content and enzymes studied. Overall, according to the results of this study, it can be stated that aqueous extracts showed a better ability to control black nightshade compared to leaf mulch, and it may be possible to use this type of treatment for herbicides in vegetable fields.

Salinity is one of the important environmental factors that reduces the growth and performance of plants, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) is one of the most important medicinal and ornamental plants in the country. Considering that the expansion of plants tolerant to salinity stress is one of the important goals of breeding and production programs, in this case a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications was done during 2020–2021 in the laboratory of the Department of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, under in vitro conditions on four Damask landraces including Atashi, Bikhar, Chaharfasl and Kashan at 5 salinity levels of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mM NaCl and the physiological and biochemical traits of them were evaluated. The results showed that the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Damask landraces caused an increase in antioxidant enzyme activities and compatible osmolytes. The Atashi landrace with high photosynthetic pigments, relative water content, proline, total soluble protein and the highest increase in antioxidant enzymes activity and, on the other hand, the lowest amount of hydrogen peroxide and electrolyte leakage, was more tolerant to salinity compared to other landraces. Compared to other genotypes, the Atashi genotype was the most favorable and tolerant, with the highest optimal level of antioxidant activity and the accumulation of compatible osmolytes, as well as a high concentration of total soluble protein. The tolerance threshold of Atashi landrace to the in vitro-induced salinity was estimated at 75 mM NaCl.

Plants need essential elements for growth and development. Nutritional management of nutrients can be effective in the production and quality of medicinal and aromatic plants. Molybdenum is a micronutrient that plays an important role in the enzymatic systems of plants. It is also considered a heavy metal, and excessive amounts are stressful for plants. In this study, the effect of molybdenum treatment (0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 μM) was investigated on the biochemical and morphological characteristics of Achillea millefolium L. in a completely randomized design in hydroponic culture. The results showed that 0.01 and 0.1 μM molybdenum concentrations compared to control had positive effects on most biochemical characteristics, including chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, soluble carbohydrates, proteins and growth indices including plant leaf area, root and shoot dry weight. While a 1 μM concentration of molybdenum had a negative effect on soluble carbohydrates and root dry weight. Root and shoot molybdenum concentration increased along with molybdenum levels, but copper concentration was reduced, indicating the antagonistic effects of these two elements. Phenolic compounds in the plant also increased in response to 0.1 μM molybdenum. Therefore, it seems that the best molybdenum level for plant growth and phenolic compound production is 0.1 μM molybdenum.

Salicylic acid priming and Chelat nanofertilizer (Parmis fertilizer 10) spraying can moderate the damage caused by drought stress in rainfed agriculture. In this research, which was carried out as a factorial-split in the form of a basic design of randomized complete blocks with three replications in Khorramabad, the effect of these two factors on two chickpea cultivars was investigated. The results showed that the local cultivar of Grit had more proline, peroxidase, and photosynthetic pigments in shoots, and the amount of copper and manganese in seeds was higher than that of the Adel variety. However, the amount of shoot catalase and the amount of potassium and magnesium in the seed were superior in the Adel variety compared to the local cultivar of Grit. Salicylic acid increased catalase, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll a+b by 1.8%, 6.7% and 5.4%, respectively, and decreased the amount of phosphorus by 1.7% compared to the control treatment. Nanofertilizer up to three liters per hectare reduced the amount of proline, peroxidase, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a+b and the ratio of chlorophyll a/b in the aerial parts, but on the amount of catalase and chlorophyll b in shoots and potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese and zinc in the seed. The interaction effect of variety and salicylic acid and nanofertilizer was significant for all traits measured in the shoot. With the increase in foliar application of the nanofertilizer, the amount of seed protein showed a linear increase, but the protein yield of chickpea showed a significant increase up to the level of two liters per hectare and then decreased. In general, the Adel cultivar with salicylic acid priming and foliar spraying of 2 liters per hectare of nanofertilizer improved the quantity and quality of chickpeas in rainfed conditions.

This research was conducted in order to investigate the application of melatonin and potassium sulfate on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) under water stress. A factorial experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with three replications. The experimental factors included irrigation conditions at two levels (50 and 100% FC), melatonin at three levels (0, 150 and 300 µM) and potassium sulfate at three levels (0, 2 and 5 mM). The results showed that in the treatment of 300 µM melatonin and control irrigation (100% FC), the leaf area was twofold greater than in the treatment of 50% FC without the use of melatonin. The highest activity of the catalase enzyme was observed in the interaction of 50% irrigation level and 150 µM melatonin and the highest amount of malondialdehyde was observed in the same field capacity without the use of melatonin. The highest amounts of chlorophyll a and b were obtained in the interaction of 100% FC, 150 μM melatonin and 5 mM potassium sulfate. The highest amount of head yield was achieved in the interaction of 100% FC with the use of 300 µM melatonin and 5 mM potassium sulfate, and in this treatment, the highest nitrate reductase enzyme activity and the lowest nitrate accumulation in the crop head were observed. The highest content of proline and activity of the peroxidase enzyme were observed under conditions of 50% FC without the use of melatonin and potassium sulfate. The best treatment in most of the interaction traits was melatonin 300 µM, potassium sulfate 5 mM under control irrigation conditions (100% FC). Therefore, the use of these compounds is recommended to improve the physiological characteristics, yield and quality of broccoli.

In order to investigate the effect of foliar application of micro-elements on some biochemical traits and wheat yield under water stress conditions, an experiment was carried out in the form of split plots based on a randomized complete block design in three replications in Varamin during the two crop years 2016–2017 and 2017–2018.  The main factors of irrigation regimes at three levels (I1: normal irrigation, I2: cut-off irrigation at the beginning of stem growth, and I3: cut-off irrigation at the beginning of stem growth and seed filling) and sub-factors including foliar spraying of micro-elements at eight levels (M1: control (without foliar spraying), M2: boron foliar application, M3: zinc, M4: iron, M5: zinc+boron, M6: iron+boron, M7: zinc+iron and M8: zinc+boron+iron) were considered. The irrigation was done twice in the autumn and four times in the spring under normal irrigation conditions. The foliar spraying of each of the micronutrients from the sources of iron sulfate, boron sulfate and zinc sulfate with a concentration of 5/1000 was carried out in two stages: stemming and spike emergence. The results showed the effect of irrigation regimes, foliar application of micro-elements and their interaction on the content of chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll, the concentration of chlorophyllase enzyme, malondialdehyde and abscisic acid. Also, the simple effect of irrigation and foliar spraying was significant on total sugar concentration and grain yield. The results showed that the interruption of irrigation led to a decrease in total chlorophyll. Foliar spraying of zinc + boron + iron (M8) in all three levels of irrigation regimes led to a significant increase in total chlorophyll. The highest amount of total chlorophyll was obtained under normal irrigation conditions, along with zinc+boron+iron (I1M8) foliar spraying at a rate of 6.03 mg.g-1 of fresh leaves. Also, foliar spraying of zinc+boron+iron in irrigation treatments (I2) and (I3) (respectively, with averages of 5.2 and 4.55 mg.g-1 of fresh leaves) led to an increase in total chlorophyll compared to control. In general, the use of foliar applications of iron, zinc, and boron can improve the physiological characteristics of wheat under stressful conditions while increasing grain yield.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are one of the most important soil microorganisms. They have mutualistic relationships with more than 90% of terrestrial plant species. In order to investigate the effect of Rhizophagus intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae on some growth and physiological traits and the uptake of some nutrients by scallion seedlings, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications under greenhouse conditions. The investigated factors included the mixed application of arbuscular mycorrhizal species in three levels (seed treatment, soil treatment and control) and soil sterilization at two levels (sterile and non-sterile). The results showed that all the studied factors in scallion plants inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi significantly increased compared to non-mycorrhizal plants. The highest fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots were obtained by mycorrhizal seed treatment and soil treatment in sterile soil, respectively. The highest shoot height, phosphorus concentration and nitrogen uptake of scallion were obtained by mycorrhizal soil treatment in sterile soil. The mycorrhizal colonization, the amount of copper, zinc, manganese and iron concentrations, chlorophyll a, b, total and carotenoids contents increased significantly in scallion inoculated with mycorrhizal seed treatment compared to other treatments. In general, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi used by seed treatment in sterile soil are able to improve the growth of scallions by increasing the absorption of nutrients and photosynthetic pigments.

In order to study the effects of foliar application of nanoparticles (zinc and silicon) and putrescine on chlorophyll fluorescence indices, dry matter remobilization and the contribution of this process in grain yield of wheat under salinity stress, an experimental as factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications will be conducted in the research greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili in 2021. Factors experimentally included salinity at four levels (no salinity as control, salinity 40, 80 and 120 mM by NaCl), and foliar application of nanoparticles (Zn and Si) and putrescine at eight levels (foliar application with water as control, foliar application 50 mg.L-1 nano silicon, foliar application, 1 g.L-1 nano znic oxide, foliar application of putrescine, foliar application of nano Si-Zn oxide, foliar application of nano silicon and putrescine, foliar application of nano Zn oxide and putrescine, foliar application of nano Si-Zn oxide and putrescine). The results showed that foliar application of nanoparticles (Zn and Si) and putrescine under no salinity increased variable fluorescence (95.8%), maximum fluorescence (35.33%), quantum yield (42.24%), leaf area index (45.27%), flag leaf protein  (41.8%), total dry matter (44.09%), current photosynthesis (87.15%) and the contribution of current photosynthesis in grain yield (36.04%) and grain yield (37.34 %) compared to no foliar application of nanoparticles and putrescine under the highest salinity level. But the maximum dry matter remobilization from stem and shoot (37.8 and 38.15%, respectively) and the contribution of these processes to grain yield (89.45 and 90.22%, respectively) were obtained in no foliar application of nanoparticles and the putrescine under salinity 120 mM. It seems that nanoparticles and putrescine application can increase grain yield of wheat under salinity stress due to improving current photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence indices.

Hairy root induction and production in Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss. was investigated as an environmental and tissue culture technique for producing secondary metabolites. For this purpose, an in vitro experiment was carried out in the form of a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replicates. The best strain of Agrobacterium rhizogenes among MSU, A7 and A4-N strains from four-week-old leaves of D. kotschyi and the best age of leaves for inoculation with A. rhizogenes from two, three and four-week-old seedlings were chosen. In order to induce hairy roots, the most appropriate culture medium in the co-cultivation and post-co-cultivation phases was selected among the MS and MS culture media without macro elements (NH4NO3, KNO3, CaCl2, and KH2PO4) and the MS and MS culture media containing L-glutamine (0.1 g/L), respectively. The highest percent transgenic hairy root was observed in the MSU strain (90%), four-week old leaf explants of D. kotschyi seedlings (82.28%) and MS medium without macro elements in the co-cultivation stage, and MS medium containing L-glutamine in the post-co-cultivation stage (75.78%). PCR analysis also verified the transgenic nature of the hairy roots using rolC, aux1 and virD specific primers. The results showed that hairy root production in D. kotschyi depended on the type of A. rhizogenes strain, the age of the explant, and the MS medium. Nevertheless, the length of the produced hairy root in D. kotschyi did not depend on the type of A. rhizogenes strain and the age of the explant. The results of this study can be used in the production of medicinal compounds from this plant, such as rosmarie acid, through the optimized hairy root technique.

Eryngium caucasicum from the Apiaceae family, is native to the northern regions of Iran and has significant medicinal and nutritional properties. This paper has provided detailed morpho-anatomical characteristics of the leaves, peduncles, leaf tail, stem, and roots of Eryngium caucasicum by bright-field light microscopy. Also, the amount of phenol, flavonoid, and antioxidant activity with a spectrophotometer and the analysis of essential compounds of the aerial part with GC and GCMS have been presented. Morpho-anatomical features include the dicot-like leaves with palmate venation, isolateral mesophyll with palisade tissue on the upper and lower regions of the leaf, and much reduced spongy parenchyma; characteristic arrangement of the mechanical collenchyma tissue, especially in leaves; and characteristic wrinkles in the leaf cuticle. The stem and peduncle with longitudinal ribs contain collenchyma; there is a presence of aerenchyma in the peduncle and root; calcium oxalate druses and secretory channels in all the studied plant parts; and an absence of sclerenchyma in all investigated parts of the plant. The aerial parts of E. caucasicum had 37% essential oil, 53.9 mg of flavonoids per gram of dry matter, 48.79 mg per gram of dry matter, and 62.97 percent antioxidant activity. The main compounds in the essential oil of the aerial part include Piperitone (48.78%), ß-Sesquiphellandrene (12.64%), and (Z)-Falcarinol (7.85%), and (Z) ß-Farnesene (6.36 percent).

To investigate the effect of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as an effective antioxidant and its optimal effect in reducing oxidative stress in peppermint under salinity stress, an experiment was conducted in 2021 in the Hormozgan University greenhouse in a completely randomized design with three replications. In this study, the effect of two levels of SNP as a source of nitric oxide (NO) release with concentrations of 0-, 0.1, and 0.2 mM sodium nitroprusside on the parameters of relative leaf water content, plant greenness, chlorophyll fluorescence, and active ingredients of peppermint under stress salinity was evaluated at concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mM) of sodium chloride solution (NaCl). The results showed that the effect of the interaction of sodium nitroprusside and salinity on the relative water content of leaves, plant greenness, and chlorophyll fluorescence was significant at a level of 1% probability. The highest relative leaf water content was observed in the application of 0.1 mM sodium nitroprusside in control (94.48%) and the lowest in the presence of 0.2 mM sodium nitroprusside in control (56.66%). The results of the mean comparison showed that at 100 mM salinity levels, the application of 0.2 mM sodium nitroprusside increased plant greenness and chlorophyll fluorescence of peppermint by 29.78% and 14.70%, respectively. Many of the active ingredients, including menthol, decreased with increasing salinity stress, while the highest amount of menthol (14.20) was observed in the 100 mM salinity treatment of 0.2 mM sodium nitroprusside. In general, the results show that the use of sodium nitroprusside increases the growth and secondary metabolites of peppermint under salinity stress.

The ornamental plant industry faces many environmental constraints, such as drought due to climate change. Therefore, the use of materials that mitigate these stresses is essential. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of potassium silicate on the physiological and biochemical responses of marigolds under water stress. Four water deficit treatments were applied, including 90, 80, 70, and 60% of field capacity and potassium silicate at three concentrations (0, 1, and 3 mM). Results showed that the water deficit at 60% FC significantly reduced leaf relative water content (10.6%) and plant vegetative characteristics (height, leaf area, dry weight) compared to 90% of crop capacity in the no foliar spray condition. Increased ion leakage was observed in plants under water stress as an indicator of oxidative damage. In response to oxidative stress caused by a water deficit, the amount of chlorophyll, carbohydrate, and proline increased compared to the control. Foliar spraying of potassium silicate at a dosage of 3 mM increased the amount of chlorophyll a (92%), chlorophyll b (74%), and total chlorophyll (73%) under 60% FC stress compared to the control. The number and diameter of flowers increased by 39% and 16%, respectively, in the 3 mM treatment compared to the plants without foliar spraying. According to the results, foliar spraying with potassium silicate at a concentration of 3 mM reduced the negative effects of drought stress on the growth characteristics of marigold, such as leaf area and dry weight, and increased the amount of essential oil in the plant. In this way, the use of 3 mM potassium silicate before transplanting plants into environmental conditions can prevent damage caused by a water deficit.

Sesame is one of the oil plants that has been cultivated for a long time. Unfortunately, the low yield of sesame and the easier production of other oil seeds have caused less attention to be paid to the cultivation of this plant, so it is necessary to take action in the direction of producing high-yielding cultivars. Soil salinity is an essential factor that affects the growth, development, and productivity of almost all land plants, including sesame. Increasing the concentration of salt in the plant growth environment leads to an increase in Na+ and Cl- ions in plants and induces oxidative stress, osmotic stress, and ion toxicity. Seed germination and early seedling growth are critical stages in the plant life cycle that largely determine crop yield. In this experiment, the sesame plant was investigated in three stages: germination (germination indices), seedling (phenotypic characteristics of seedling, SOD, CAT activities, MDA and H2O2 content), and maturity stage. Therefore, 21 different sesame cultivars were studied for genetic diversity and heritability of traits. Also, the relationship between traits in three stages and the influence of morphological traits in the farm environment were measured. Cultivars were grouped using these traits, and cultivars tolerant and sensitive to salinity stress were identified. The cultivars studied were divided into two groups, and high-yielding genotypes such as Oltan, 159, Naz Chandshakhe, Yellowwhite, Maghan, 418, American, and Chinese were placed in one group. To obtain new recombinant, the genotypes of distant clusters are used as parents for the hybridization program. The use of selected traits in the sesame breeding program increases yield.

Salinity is one of the most significant environmental stresses for sustainable crop production in the world's agricultural lands. Tomatoes are sensitive to salinity, and it is possible to create a tolerant genotype by evaluating the diversity among tomato genotypes under salt stress and using this diversity in tomato breeding programs. Based on this, in the current study, 22 tomato genotypes were evaluated under salt stress in a randomized complete block design with three replications. In this research, different stress tolerance indices were used to evaluate genotypes under salt stress. Stress Tolerance Index (STI), Tolerance Index (TOL), Geometric Mean Productivity (GMP), Mean Productivity (MP), Harmonic Mean (HM), Yield (Y), Yield Stability (YSI) and Stress Sensitivity (SSI) were calculated based on the total dry weight under control and stress conditions. The results of analysis of variance and mean comparison showed that there is a statistically significant difference between the studied tomato genotypes for two traits, total dry weight and total fresh weight, in two conditions of salt stress and control. These results confirmed the existence of diversity between genotypes in their morphological characteristics. The YP trait showed the highest correlation (0.9) with the MP index and the YS trait showed the highest correlation (0.91) with the HM index, and these indices are suitable for evaluating tomato genotypes under salt stress in the seedling stage. Based on bi-plot analysis, the G10 genotype was the most tolerant genotype, and after that, the G2, G22, G19 and G5 genotypes showed tolerance to salt stress. The cluster analysis divided the genotypes into three separate categories, which showed different behaviors during the transition from a non-stressed environment to a stressed environment. Based on tolerance indices and grouping methods, genotype G10 was identified as a tolerant genotype to salt stress, which can be used as a parent in hybridization and selection of tolerant genotypes.

Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) is an annual and widely used ornamental plant. Considering the importance of the growing medium in the production of ornamental plants, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of wood waste compost and humic acid on the morphological and physiological characteristics of Zinnia. Wood waste compost (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% instead of peat moss in the control growth medium) along with humic acid (0, 250 and 500 mg L-1) were used. Peat moss, perlite and garden soil (1:1:1) were used as the control substrate. In this research, plant height, number and surface of leaves, fresh and dry weight of plants, fresh and dry weight of roots, flower diameter, chlorophyll, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of leaves were investigated. According to the obtained results, the highest amount of plant leaf area was obtained in 50% compost with 500 mg L-1 of humic acid and the highest number of leaves were obtained in 75% compost with 500 mg L-1 of humic acid. The largest flower diameter (76.2 mm) was recorded in 100% compost. The amount of chlorophyll a and b in 100% compost combined with humic acid of 500 mg L-1 was at the highest level. The highest amount of nitrogen (0.75%) was recorded in 100% compost. The application of humic acid 250 mg L-1 caused a significant increase in leaf potassium. In general, the results showed that the application of compost in amounts of 50 to 100 percent and humic acid of 250 and 500 mg L-1 was effective on flower diameter, plant height, number of leaves, chlorophyll, and the increase of nitrogen and potassium elements in Zinnia leaves.

In this research, the effect of foliar spraying of wood vinegar on the growth and biochemical traits of cucumber seedlings in different culture mediums in a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications was investigated. This experiment was carried out in the spring of 2022 in a research greenhouse at the University of Jiroft. The test factors include two types of culture media (75% cocopeat + 25% peat moss and 75% palm peat + 25% vermicompost) and 5 combinations of wood vinegar (control, oak wood vinegar 0.5 and 1% and wood vinegar Pistachio 0.5 and 1%). The results showed that seedlings grown on palmpeat + vermicompost had maximum values for the fresh and dry weight of roots and shoots, root length, photosynthetic pigments, and auxin. Spraying pistachio wood vinegar at 0.5% and 1% on cocopeat + peat moss and palmpeat + vermicompost substrates, respectively, led to the highest value of root weight. Using 1% pistachio wood vinegar on cocopeat + peat moss substrate increased the root fresh weight (29.1%), the shoot dry weight (13.8%), and the ratio of shoot dry weight to root dry weight (28.4%) compared to the control. Using 1% oak wood vinegar on palmpeat + vermicompost substrate increased the root length (51.9%), chlorophyll b (13.8%), auxin (24.7%), and the total phenol (21.7%) compared to the control. Ultimately, this research suggested that using 1% oak wood vinegar on palmpeat + vermicompost substrate can produce optimal results for the production of cucumber seedlings.