Journal of Organic Farming of Medicinal Plants
Volume:1 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2022

Salinity stress reduces the germination and growth of plants, and organic priming is a suitable way to reduce environmental issues and increase seed germination and plant growth. For this purpose, a study was arranged as a factorial base on a completely randomized design with three replications on cumin seeds. Research treatments included five levels of organic priming (control (no prime), hydropriming, chitosan, humic acid and vermicompost) and four levels of salinity stress (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl). The results indicated that salinity stress decreased the germination and growth seedling of cumin. Priming with humic acid, chitosan and vermicompost and also hydropriming reduced the negative effects of salinity stress compared to the control (without prime), but the humic acid, chitosan and vermicompost priming action was better than hydropriming. The highest seed germination of cumin was observed in vermicompost priming (98.58 %) in the control condition which had no significant difference with humic acid (98.33 %) and chitosan (98.24 %). The highest proline content (0.86 µmol g-1 FW) was related to 150 mM salinity stress without prime, and the lowest (0.29 µmol g-1 FW) was observed in humic acid priming, and vermicompost (0.28 µmol g-1 FW) in the control condition. The lowest seed germination (54.24 %) was obtained in 150 mM salinity stress. Organic priming increased the germination and growth of cumin seedlings and it is a suitable approach to alleviate salinity stress damage in cumin seedlings.

The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of compost, vermicompost and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the content and chemical compositions of essential oil of Hyssopus officinalis L. from Firouzkuh region, Iran. The experiment was carried out as a randomized complete block design with eight treatments and three replications in the research field of the Agriculture Company of Ran in Firouzkuh in 2012. The treatments were compost (20 ton ha-1), vermicompost (12 ton ha-1), nitrogen-fixing bacteria (inoculated seeds with Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum lipoferum), compost (10 ton ha-1) + vermicompost (6 ton ha-1), compost (10 ton ha-1) + nitrogen-fixing bacteria, vermicompost (12 ton ha-1) + nitrogen-fixing bacteria, compost (10 ton ha-1) + vermicompost (6 ton ha-1) + nitrogen-fixing bacteria and control. The results showed that the highest content (0.200%) and yield (5.21 kg ha-1) of essential oil were obtained after applying 12-ton ha-1 vermicompost plus nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The maximum cis pinocamphone (63.56%) and beta phellandrene (9.71%) and the minimum trans pinocamphone (2.50%) in essential oil were obtained by using the 10 ton ha-1 compost, 6 ton ha-1 vermicompost plus nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Generally, the highest essential oil quantity with the integrated application of 12 ton ha-1 vermicompost and biofertilizer and the highest essential oil quality with the integrated application of 10 ton ha-1 compost, 6 ton ha-1 vermicompost and biofertilizer were obtained.

In order to study the effect of vermicompost and mycorrhizal fungi on some agronomic characteristics of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) this research was carried out in Alborz Research Station, Iran's Forestry and Rangelands Research Institute in 2012-2013 under field conditions. The experiment was carried out as a factorial arrangement based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The factors included vermicompost at four levels (0, 3, 6, and 9 tons ha-1) and mycorrhizal fungi at four levels (no application, application of Glomus mosseae, application of Glomus intraradices, and combined application of Glomus mosseae + Glomus intraradices). The results showed that the effect of mycorrhizal fungus and vermicompost on plant height, leaf length, leaf area index, seed yield, and leaf width was significant. The effect of the interaction of treatments on leaf area index, mycorrhizal symbiosis, and 1000 seed weight was significant. The highest seed yield (617.7 kg ha-1) was obtained from the application of 9 tons of vermicompost per hectare. The mean comparison for different mycorrhizal levels showed that all the measured traits had the highest values in the combined inoculation of seeds with G. mossea and G. interaradices. The highest leaf area index (2.160) was obtained from the combined treatment of 9 tons per hectare of vermicompost and inoculation of seeds with G. mossea + G. interaradices. The highest mycorrhizal symbiosis (36.67%) was obtained in the combined treatment of 9 tons per hectare of vermicompost and seed inoculation with Glomus interaradices.

The present study was carried out to investigate the relationship between positive and negative affect and happiness with attitudes toward organic products including organic medicinal plants, organic fruits and animal products in Iranian women. The descriptive-correlational method was used, and the statistical population included Iranian women were selected 201 of them by convenience sampling. In this study, positive and negative affect questionnaires, Oxford Happiness Inventory, and attitudes toward organic products (medicinal plants, organic fruits and animal products) were used. The data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and simultaneous regression. Findings showed a positive and significant relationship between positive affect and attitudes toward organic products in Iranian women and a negative and significant relationship between negative affect and attitudes toward organic products in Iranian women (p <0.01). There is also a significant positive relationship between happiness and attitudes toward organic products in Iranian women (p <0.01). Therefore, findings suggest that psychologists and counselors can increase happiness and positive affect by strengthening the attitude towards organic products in Iranian women.

The application of organic inputs can be a suitable alternative to chemical fertilizers due to their many properties and reduction of environmental effects. Therefore, in order to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizers, research was conducted as a factorial base on a completely randomized block design in three replications on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) in 2019 in Nazarabad, Karaj, Iran. The treatments included cow manure levels (0, 5 and 10 ton ha-1), vermicompost levels (0 and 15 ton ha-1) and biochar levels (0 and 10 ton ha-1). The results of this study showed that the application of cow manure, biochar and vermicompost promoted yield and yield compounds of roselle compared to control. In addition, the integrated application of cow manure, biochar and vermicompost effects on traits better than the main effects. The highest dry matter weight (1116.82 g m-2), fruit dry weight (456.82 g m-2), and soil respiration (0.37 µmol m-2 s-1), were related to the integrated application of cow manure, biochar and vermicompost. Thus, to promote roselle yield and yield compounds, the usage of organic fertilizers and soil amendments (cow manure, biochar and vermicompost) is a suitable alternative to chemical fertilizers.