مجله تولید گیاهان زراعی
سال هفدهم شماره 4 (زمستان 1403)

Quinoa is a dicotyledonous plant from the Amaranthaceae family. Due to the high nutritional value of the plant, several breeding programs were started on quinoa in different parts of the world. Commercially, quinoa has three colors: black, red and white. The Sadouq variety has been introduced as a white seed variety and is tolerant to salt stress (7). The purpose of introducing the black seed variety is the market demand for the production of three-color quinoa. The aim of this research is to investigate the compatibility of quinoa variety Rahmat with black and large seeds in comparison with white seed cultivars and lines.

This study was conducted during two crop years (2018-2019) in four regions (Yazd, Sabzevar, Shiraz and Iranshahr) in the form of a complete randomized block design with six genotypes and three replications. The planting date in each region was determined based on the daily weather conditions in each region. After harvesting, seed yield, 1000 seed weight, seed size and saponin content were measured. At first, Bartlett's test was performed and combined analysis and stability analysis were performed using different parametric and non-parametric methods.

Combined analysis showed that the three-way interaction effect of year, place and genotype on the measured traits was significant. The highest seed yield of Rahmat cultivar observed in Iranshahr (407 g m-2) after Sadouq cultivar (488 g m-2). The lowest seed yield of Rahmat variety was observed in the studied areas in Yazd (249 g m-2). In terms of the 1000 seeds weight, the highest and lowest 1000 seeds weight were observed in Iranshahr (3.9 g) and Yazd (2.9 g), respectively. In Iranshahr, 68% and in other region 45% of the seeds of Rahmat variety were placed in the large seed size class. The saponin content of Rahmat cultivar was strongly influenced by the environment. The highest and lowest amount of saponin of Rahmat variety was observed in Sabzevar and Iranshahr. Analysis of GGEbiplot method showed that Rahmat cultivar had high specific adaptability after Sadouq in Iranshahr and Sabzevar. Based on the average total rank, Sadouq variety (1.18±2.0), C line (1.37±2.2) and Rahmat variety (2.61±3.5) had the highest grain yield stability, respectively.

The sum of Kang's rank and other non-parametric methods used led to the selection of stable lines in the investigated environments, but the GGEbiplot method had the ability to show the specific adaptation of the Rahmat variety with the environments. Parametric and non-parametric methods based on yield rank and stability variance showed that Rahmat cultivar was ranked third and was better than Titicaca cultivar in the investigated environments.

In many regions of the country, including Khorramabad, Lorestan, the amount, distribution, and intensity of rainfall has a negative effect on the production of crops such as vetiver in rainy conditions. Conservation tillage is considered a suitable solution for storing moisture and preserving the soil. Also, the selection of high-potential variety and adaptation to the weather conditions of the region, while increasing the production, helps the economy of the farmers in the region. On the other hand, it seems necessary to find suitable practical solutions such as salicylic acid to adjust the drought stress. For this purpose, the simultaneous investigation of tillage, variety and salicylic acid was investigated in this experiment in order to achieve the best treatment for the dry conditions of the region.

In order to investigate the quantitative and qualitative response of vetiver to tillage and salicylic acid, an experiment was conducted in three tillage environments including conventional, low tillage, and no tillage with two varieties of vetiver, Maragheh and Gachsaran, and four levels of salicylic acid foliar application including the control. , 0.5, 1, and 1.5 millimolar were implemented in Kamavand area of Khorram Abad city in two crop years 1395-1396 and 1396-1397.

The results showed that the highest yield of dry fodder (2340 kg/ha) was obtained from two protective tillage methods, but the highest harvest index (25.2%) was obtained from the conventional tillage method. Comparison of cultivars showed that Maragheh variety had a significant advantage over Gachsaran cultivar in terms of all morphological traits except the weight of 1000 seeds, but no significant difference was observed between the two cultivars in terms of harvest index. The highest amount of morphological traits including plant height, wet and dry forage yield, forage moisture percentage, grain yield components, grain yield, biological and straw yield and harvest index were obtained from the application of 1.5 mM salicylic acid. In the first year, the highest fodder yield was obtained from the low tillage method in the Maragheh cultivar with foliar spraying of 0.5 mM salicylic acid (15419 kg/ha) and in the second year, from the low tillage method in the Maragheh cultivar with Foliar spraying of 0.1 mM salicylic acid (16059 kg/ha) was obtained without significant difference with other levels of foliar spraying. In the first and second year, the highest seed yield from the low tillage method in Maragheh cultivar with 1.5 mM salicylic acid (1191 and 1320 kg/ha respectively) and the lowest seed yield from the low tillage method. Cultivation in Gachsaran cultivar was achieved without or with 0.5 mM salicylic acid (389 and 542 kg/ha respectively) or without foliar application.

In general, Maragheh cultivar is recommended in the low tillage method with salicylic acid spraying for the dual purpose production of fodder and seeds in vetiver.

Investigating the diversity of cultivars of agricultural plants and the relationships between their important economic traits, such as grain yield, components of grain yield, and phenological characteristics in crops, is crucial. Wheat is a significant source of energy and dietary nutrients. During wheat breeding programs, yield and yield components are carefully considered, and understanding their relationship is essential for developing high-yield varieties. When comparing agricultural cultivars, it is important to consider the conventional or innovative nature of the comparison methods and the novelty of the cultivars or varieties being compared.

In this study, 94 bread wheat varieties (including 4 control varieties) were cultivated using an augmentation plan with 3 repetitions during the agricultural year of 2018-2019 at the Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University. After planting, normal irrigation and proper weed control were maintained, and phenology and morphology information were recorded, including days to germination, tillering, stem, flowering, and maturity. Additionally, the number of tillers, leaves, plant height, nodes, peduncle length, spike length, number of spikes, weight of 1000 seeds, and seed yield were assessed for normality. Data analysis involved the use of simple and advanced statistical methods, as well as multivariate statistical methods such as principal component analysis, discriminant analysis (DA), and cluster analysis.

The analysis of variance revealed that there was a significant difference among the studied cultivars in terms of all the traits investigated, indicating that there is enough diversity between them. The highest Pearson correlation was found between a thousand seed weight and yield (0.907***), days to tillering and days to flowering (-0.92***), days to flowering and maturity (0.85***), days to tillering and rippening (0.83***), days to tillering and stem (0.79***), and days to tillering and flowering (0.79***). Additionally, there was a positive and significant correlation between seed yield and spike length, as well as the number of spikes (0.39*** and 0.34***, respectively), which was further confirmed by the Bayesian method. The principal component analysis, along with linear DA analysis, showed that the first two components accounted for the majority (99.51%) of the total variance and demonstrated the effectiveness of this method in grouping the varieties. Based on these results, the cultivars were categorized into four groups. Group one consisted of the Darya and Quds genotypes, with an average yield of 712 grams. The other groups had average yields of 594, 864, 195, 328, and 442 grams, respectively. The third group (Shahpasand number) had the highest yield at 864 grams per square meter and a thousand-seed weight of 43.2 grams, which were the highest among all the groups and the entire experiment. However, the Tak-Ab variety also had the highest thousand-seed weight at 50.81 grams.

In this study, two methods, both conventional and advanced, were used to evaluate the correlation and relationship between traits, and the results were consistent with each other. Subsequently, multivariate statistical methods were employed to classify the wheat cultivars. By decomposing the data into the main components, the first two components successfully grouped the cultivars, with Shahpasand and Darya exhibiting the highest yield and thousand-seed weight in the population, respectively. Given the size of the population and its sufficient diversity, as well as the range of climatic conditions, it is feasible to utilize the available cultivars with high performance and desirable traits in improvement and expansion programs.

Environmental pollution caused by heavy metals due to their indestructibility is a major concern in agricultural soils, which threatens food security. Mercury is considered as a dangerous and carcinogenic pollutant, which in natural ecosystems is increased by human activities and leads to a decrease in protein production, deactivation of some enzymes, disturbance in various reactions and cellular actions, and causes They stop growing and developing. Since the contamination of agricultural lands with heavy metals on one hand leads to a decrease in the quality of agricultural products and on the other hand it is a serious threat to human health, it needs more attention.The demand for global food production will increase, the higher expectations of agricultural production in each residential unit will cause the destruction of existing land, the expansion of agriculture to marginal areas, and the use of different types of soil for the production of more products. Most of these areas and lands are contaminated with a wide range of pollutants, such as heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium, copper, manganese, and zinc, which account for a major share of the pollution of these soils. they give

A split-plot experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized basic design with three replications in the Faculty of Plant Production of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The investigated factors include cultivar (at four levels) and foliar spraying treatment (fogging), mercury chloride compound (at 5, 10, 15 micromolar levels) and control treatment, and the application of treatments on leaves in the range of 60 Zadex stage (8 leaves). Done. Then, some biochemical traits and expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase genes were investigated.

The results of analysis of variance showed that the effect of different concentrations of mercury and the cultivar effect on all measured biochemical traits were statistically significant at the 1% probability level, the cultivar effect was significant at the 5% level for chlorophyll a. The interaction effect of mercury in cultivar was significant for all biochemical traits. It was also observed that the expression of ascorbate peroxidase, giagol peroxidase and catalase, superoxide dismutase genes showed higher expression, This increase in expression was different among different cultivars and it was observed more in Morvarid cultivar than other cultivars.

In the results, it was observed that the expression level of ascorbate peroxidase and giagol peroxidase gene was higher in the Morvarid genotype, and a lower decrease in the amount of chlorophyll was also observed in it. On the other hand, the level of cellular oxidation also increased less in this genotype due to the increase in mercury chloride concentration. Based on the results of this research, it can be stated that this genotype is tolerant to mercury chloride stress, which can be used as desirable cultivars in future breeding projects after performing other additional tests.

This study investigates how different harvest times affect the yield and quality of sugar beet varieties. By evaluating the performance of various varieties at different harvest times, the research aims to determine if early quantitative and qualitative assessments can accurately predict final outcomes. Confirming this hypothesis could significantly benefit breeding programs by enabling early selection, thereby speeding up the development of high-yield, high-quality sugar beet varieties. The research involved 13 sugar beet varieties. These varieties underwent phenotypic evaluation over two years (2022 and 2023) at the Sugar Beet Research Station in Karaj Alborz, Iran. The experimental design was split-plot design based on the randomized complete block design, with four replications and five harvest dates. A combined analysis of variance was performed, treating the year effect as random and the variety and harvest date effects as fixed for white sugar yield. The mean of the main effects and their interactions were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at a 5% probability level. To assess the potential for early selection of varieties and expedite breeding, regression analysis was employed, which is a common statistical method for evaluating genotype-environment interactions. Additionally, Spearman's correlation, a non-parametric rank correlation method, was used to determine the correlation between the ranks of the varieties across different harvest dates. The analysis of variance revealed significant effects of the year, variety, harvest date, and the interactions between harvest date-year and harvest date-variety at a 1% probability level. The fifth harvest in 2022 reached an average of 11.36 t ha-1, while the first harvest in 2023 had the lowest yield, averaging 2.75 t ha-1. In terms of harvest date-variety interaction, Yalda and Hosna achieved high yields of 12.44 and 12.14 t ha-1 on the fifth and fourth harvest dates, respectively, followed by Robina and Shokoufa on the fourth and fifth dates. Regression analysis confirmed a significant linear relationship between environmental conditions and yield at the 1% probability level. This relationship indicated that as the environmental index increased, there was a corresponding increase in white sugar yield, mainly due to delayed harvest times. This pattern suggests a predictable and uniform response of white sugar yield to environmental changes. The genotype-environment interaction (linear) was also significant at the 1% probability level, indicating that although yield followed a linear trend, the slope of the regression line varied for different experimental varieties across different years and harvest dates. However, the mean square deviation from the regression line was non-significant, suggesting that the white sugar yield values of the experimental varieties closely aligned with the regression line. This implies that the response of a cultivar did not fluctuate significantly during linear changes in different years and harvest dates. In fact, despite the complexities of the genotype-environment interaction, the response of varieties to changes in different years and harvest dates remains stable around the regression line. Spearman correlation analysis supports these findings, indicating that quantitative and qualitative performance in the early stages cannot reliably predict final yield unless the harvest date is postponed until early October. The study concludes that initial performance evaluations are not reliable for early selection. Delaying selection until October enhances the reliability of breeding decisions, ensuring the selection of cultivars with optimal genetic potential for high yields. This approach allows breeders to make more informed decisions, ultimately leading to the development of high-yield, high-quality sugar beet varieties. By understanding the interactions between genetic and environmental factors, breeders can improve the effectiveness of their strategies, thus contributing to more efficient sugar beet cultivation practices.

Khorasan Razavi province, one of the main livestock production hubs, is currently facing a shortage of bulky forage, and its water and soil resources are increasingly becoming saline. The primary goal of this study was to select superior quinoa lines with higher production capacity and favorable quality traits and to investigate the potential for cultivating forage quinoa lines adapted to the climatic conditions of the region. This study was conducted during the 2022-2023 growing season at the Salinity Research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The experiment was carried out in a split-plot arrangement within a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Six superior quinoa lines, selected from forage quinoa evaluation trials at the National Salinity Research Center of Yazd, including NSRCQF1 (line one), NSRCQF3 (line two), NSRCQF5 (line three), NSRCQF7 (line four), NSRCQF8 (line five), and NSRCQF11 (line six), were assigned to the main plots. Three harvest stages, including the early flowering, end of flowering, and dough grain stages, were assigned to the subplots. Forage was randomly harvested from each subplot over an area of one square meter, and agronomic traits such as fresh weight, dry weight per plant, dry matter percentage, leaf weight, stem weight, leaf-to-stem ratio, shoot crude protein content, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber, ash and fresh forage yield were measured.The results indicated that harvesting at the end of flowering and dough grain stages yielded the highest forage production, which was statistically significant. Harvesting at the beginning of flowering produced the best forage quality in terms of crude protein content (16.89%), showing a statistically significant difference at the 5% probability level compared to other growth stages. Among the six lines evaluated, line NSRCQF3 showed superiority in forage production, while line NSRCQF11 excelled in forage protein content. The highest fresh forage yield (29 tons per hectare) was obtained at the dough grain stage. The highest leaf-to-stem ratio (50%) was achieved at the beginning of flowering, while the lowest ratio (39%) was observed at the dough grain stage. The results of this study demonstrated that harvest timing significantly affects the quantitative and qualitative performance of quinoa forage. Harvesting at the dough grain stage resulted in high forage yield, while harvesting at the flowering stage maximized crude protein content (16.89%), highlighting the importance of selecting the appropriate harvest time. Among the six lines evaluated, NSRCQF3 showed superiority in forage production, and NSRCQF11 excelled in forage protein content. Based on these findings, quinoa can be utilized as a salt- and drought-tolerant forage crop in saline and arid regions, although research in this area is still in its early stages and requires further extensive studies.

water over-withdrawal in Iran is like a cancer that has taken root in the country's nature and is making its conditions difficult every day. Therefore, planning and effective measures must be taken at the country level to reduce this over- withdrawal. For this purpose, in the present study, it was assumed that withdrawal water for agriculture in the country would decrease from 86 billion m3 per year to 62 billion m3 per year (the allocable volume of water for agriculture as announced by the Ministry of Energy). Then, using linear programming, the current cropping pattern was optimized with the aim of maximizing farmers' income. In this study, information on the cultivated area, yield per unit area, price and production cost (2013-2017) of more than 30 important plant species was collected separately for each province of the country. To estimate the irrigation water volumes under farmers’ conditions, a crop simulation model (SSM-iCrop2) was used, which has been tested and set up to simulate the growth, yield and field water balance for more than 30 plant species throughout the country. The economic mathematical programming model was solved using LINGO software. The results showed that reducing water withdrawal from 86 to 62 billion m3 per year without changing the cropping pattern would cause the country's irrigated area to decrease by 29 percent (from 8,409 to 5,949 thousand hectares) and farmers' income would also decrease by 30 percent (from 173 to 121 thousand billion rials). However, the optimization of the cropping pattern resulted in an 18% reduction in the cultivated area (from 8,409 to 6,907 thousand hectares) and an increase in farmers' income by 9% (from 173 to 190 thousand billion rials); that is, while water withdrawal decreased by 28%, farmers' income not only did not decrease but also increased with the optimization of the cropping pattern. The optimized cropping pattern also created significant savings in fertilizer and energy consumption, which is of great importance in conditions of limited energy resources. The most important changes in the optimized cropping pattern were the increase in the cultivated area and production of potato and summer vegetables (104 and 76 percent more than the country's needs, respectively) that must be exported, and the decrease in the cultivated area, production, and consequently increased dependence on imports in sugar-beet, barley, silage corn, and alfalfa. In the optimized cropping pattern, high dependency (more than 50%) to import of oilseeds, grain corn, and meal will continue as in the current conditions (current cropping pattern). Optimization of the cropping pattern makes it possible to reduce water withdrawal to the level that the Ministry of Energy without reducing farmers' income. However, there will still be some reduction in the area under irrigated cultivation and, as a result, a decrease in the self-sufficiency of some crops. Thus, the expectations of the country's crop production capacity must be rationalized and reduced.