نشریه فنآوری تولیدات گیاهی
سال سیزدهم شماره 2 (زمستان 1392)

Medicinal plants are valuable natural resources، so recently; attention has focused on phytochemicals as new sources of natural antioxidants. Nepeta crispa and Elaeagnus angustifolia، which were used as medicinal plants from Hamedan Province in traditional medicine screened for total phenols، flavonoids، and free radical scavenging activity. In this study، flowers and aerial parts of N. crispa and E. angustifolia were extracted using methanol and hydroalcoholic solvents after drying and then total phenolic compounds were measured using Folin-Ciocalteu. Flavonoid content was determined using aluminum chloride and antioxidant properties were measured using DPPH free radical scavenging The results showed that the total contents of phenols and flavonoids in the methanolic extracts were more than of both hydroalcoholic extracts. Inhibition of DPPH free radicals increased with increasing concentration of plant extracts. The most inhibition of free radical DPPH measured by methanol extracts of N. crispa in 0. 137 mg/ml، and then in E. angustifolia in 0. 142 mg/ml. Results from the study indicate that the antioxidant activities of these plants may be related with total phenols and flavonoids.

In order to investigate effect of organic manure and super absorbent on potato (Solanum tubersum، cv. Marfona) yield، a split plot experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications on field experiment، Agriculture College، University of Razi in 2010. Main factor included two levels of super absorbent A200 (0 and 70 Kg/ha،) and split plot included nine levels (0، chemical fertilizer (according to soil test)، granule chicken manure (1000 kg/ha)، common chicken manure (12 ton/ha)، soil mix (1000 kg/ha)، common animal fertilizer (20 ton/ha)، vermicompost (20 ton/ha)، compost (20 ton/ha) and tea compost (soaking tubers and spraying at four times). Effect of superabsorbent and organic manure and their interaction on tuber dry matter per hectare was significant. Effect of superabsorbent on stem number per plant، tuber yield and plant height was significant (P < 0. 05)، but superabsorbent did not have any significant effect on tuber number per plant. Results showed that different levels of organic manure had a significant effect on plant height، tuber number per plant، stem number per plant، tuber yield and diameter، tuber weight per plant and total dry matter per plant. Totally، it is concluded that granule chicken manure (with or without superabsorbent) had the highest effect on all of these traits. Correlation coefficients showed that tuber fresh matter per hectare had a positive and significant correlation with stem diameter، stem number per plant، tuber number per hectare، mean micro tuber diameter of 10 to 35 mm. Tuber fresh matter per hectare had a significant and positive correlation with harvest index.

In order to study the effects of interaction between the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and biological control agents (BCA) on the some nutrient content، Essential Oil Yiled and root colonization of Thymus daenensis plants، A split plot experimental design was applied in a randomized complete blocks with six treatments and three replications at semnan natural resource research field at shahmirzad، in 2011-2012. Treatments included: A: the fungus of Glomus mosseae (1-inoculated(AM) and 2- no inoculated) and B: BCA inoculums (1-: Bacillus subtilis 2- Pseudomonas fluorescens 3-control). Results showed that inoculation with G. mosseae or B. subtilis significantly increased the foliar uptake of Mg، Mn and Zn as compared to non- inoculated plants. The most effective treatment was observed in the co- inoculation with G. mosseae and B. subtilis، which synergistically increased Essential Oil Yiled and nutrient uptake campared with singly inoculated or non- inoculated plants.

Light stress is one of the important environmental stresses which at high levels could destroy plants. However، in medicinal plants using ultraviolet-induced stress could activate secondary metabolite biosynthesis systems and could increases the values of medicinal plants. Current research was aimed to investigate the effect of UV-A radiation on growth and physiology of peppermint. Potted peppermint plantlets were cultured in glasshouse condition and were radiated by UV-A using light-emitting diode light at 365 nm at four treatments of 0، 1، 2 and 4 hours UV-A radiation. Treated plants were harvested after 60 days and were analyzed for their shoot length، leaf area، fresh weight، dry weight، dry matter، chlorophyll concentration، total protein concentration، total phenolic concentration and essential oil. Result indicated lower growth and yield in UV-A radiated plants. Although there were no significant differences between 1 and 2 hour UV-A radiation on chlorophyll in leaves، its concentration reduced in those of 4 hour radiated plants. In contrary، total phenolic concentration and essential oil concentration increased in UV-A radiated plants. In conclusion، it seems that peppermint is sensitive to UV-A radiation which for facing up to its stress، increases phenolic compounds production. Using modest stress of UV-A in peppermint by reducing growth and yield could increase its secondary metabolites.

Due to high adaptation of forage sorghum to extreme environmental conditions، it has considerable importance for forage production in the semiarid regions. Therefore، in order to evaluate effects of solitary and integrated application of urea fertilizer، cattle and poultry manures on growth and yield of this crop، a field experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications in 2010 on the research farm in Shahrekord University،. Treatments included control، urea fertilizer (UF)، cattle manure (CM)، poultry manure (PM)، CM-UF، PM-UF، CM-PM. The results showed that the application of poultry manure significantly increased height of main stem، leaf area index، leaf dry weight، stem dry weight and panicle dry weight as compared with control treatment and the greatest forage yield (11. 16 Mg/ha-1) was obtained in poultry manure treatment، however it didn’t have significant differences with that of UF، PM-UF، and CM-PM treatments. The lowest dry matter yield (5. 97 Mg/ha-1) was produced in control treatment. Generally، the application of poultry manure and or combination of urea fertilizer with animal manures were suitable for forage sorghum production in the similar conditions.

In order to evaluatem the colchicine treatments on autotetraploidy induction in Madagascar periwinkle (catharanthus roseus cv. alba)، an experiment was carried out on the frame of completely randomized design with four concentrations of colchicine (0، 0. 1، 0. 2 and 0. 4%) in six replications. Colchicine was applied in full bloom stage، and flow cytometry was used to determine ploidy levels. Results indicated that increment of colchicine concentration had significant effect on percentage of autotetraploidy and plant mortality in targeted plants. The highest auototetraploidy (44%) was observed at 0. 4% of colchicine concentration، while the highest viability after control treatment was recorded at 0. 1% of colchicine concentration. Result also showed a significant increase in stem diameter، number of lateral branches، leaf number، leaf area، flower diameter، peduncle diameter، chlorophyll a content، chlorophyll b content and total content of chlorophyll in tetraploid compared to diploid plants. In contrast، enhancement of ploidy level reduced plant height، while peduncle length remained unchanged and had the similar type in terms of growth in diploid and tetraploid plants.

In order to evaluate the effect of different biological and organic fertilizer on quality and quantity of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) essential oil، an experiment was conducted at Faculty of Agriculture Research field of Shahrood University of Technology in 2010. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with 11 treatment and three replications. The experimental treatments were 1- urea fertilizer (N) 2- M1 mycorhiza strain (Glomus mosseae) 3- M2 mycorrhiza strain (Glomus intraradiceae) 4- Cow manure (F) 5- M1 mycorrhiza strain + M2 mycorrhiza strain 6- urea fertilizer (N) + M1 mycorrhiza strain 7- urea fertilizer (N) + M2 mycorrhiza strain 8- Cow manure (F) + M1 mycorrhiza strain 9- Cow manure (F) + M2 mycorrhiza strain 10- Cow manure (F) + urea fertilizer (N) 11- control (without any fertilizer) (C). There were no significant differences between different treatments in terms of seed essential oil percentage but there were significant differences between different treatments in terms of seed essential oil yield components (at 5% level). Results showed that the highest and the lowest percentage of essential oil contents were obtained in control (C) (1. 85%) and M1 mycorrhiza strain + M2 mycorrhiza strain (1. 25%). The highest essential oil yield (24. 64 l/ha) was obtained with use cow manure (8 ton/ha) treatment. Based on GCMS analysiss the importance components of essential oil were anethole، fenchone، limonene and estragole. The highest anethole (81. 301%) and the lowest fenchone (8. 532%)، estragole (3. 05%) and limonene (3. 231%) in essential oil content were obtained in M2 mycorrhiza strain.

Effects of polyethylene glycol-induced drought stress on some physiological characteristics of young seedlings of five almond species (Prunus dulcis، P. eburnea، P. eleagnifolia، P. haussknechti and P. scoparia) were studied. Three different drought levels resulted from three osmotic potential of the nutrient solutions including Ψs =−0. 6، −1. 1 and −1. 6 MPa and a control treatment (Ψs =−0. 1 MPa) were applied over 2 weeks followed by 4 weeks of recovery. Leaf water potential (LWP) of treated plants was significantly decreased compared to the controls. Under severe stress، P. dulcis had the lowest LWP among examined species. Soluble sugars and free proline were significantly accumulated in leaves in response to drought stress. The greatest accumulation of soluble sugars was observed in P. eburnea and P. dulcis under severe stress as compared to the control. Also، proline was greatly accumulated in the leaves of P. dulcis and P. eburnea. Drought stress caused a significant decrease in chlorophyll a، chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll of the leaves، but total carotenoids content was not influenced by drought. P. haussknechti and P. dulcis showed lesser reduction in leaf chlorophyll content compared to the other species. The activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase، peroxidase، catalase، ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase were significantly increased in leaves of the seedlings subjected to drought treatments. In conclusion، P. dulcis with the lowest LWP، the greatest proline accumulation، relatively higher accumulation of soluble sugars and relatively lesser reduction in leaf pigments under drought condition، showed the higher resistance to drought compared to the other almond species.

Indigo is an unknown plant for most of people، and recently has derived attention due to its industrial and medical properties. There is scarce information about its seed germination response to temperature and salinity. This study was conducted to determine the effects of temperature and salinity stress on seed germination of Indigo. Therefore، two separate experiments were performed at the college of agriculture، Shahrood University of Technology، in 2011. In the first and second experiments germination response of seeds were determined over a wide range of temperatures (10، 15، 20، 25، 30، 35 and 40 oC،) and salinities (0 (control)، 2، 3، 4، 5 and 6 dS/m-1) respectively. The regression models fitted to the data of cumulative germination percent against time، and then time to 50% germination were dent-like، segmented، beta and quadratic functions. Based on indices like RMSD (root mean square of error)، correlation coefficient (R2)، and linear regression parameters، the segmented function was the best model to describe seed germination as a function of cumulative germination percent against time، and then time to 50% germination. The base، optimum and ceiling temperatures were 10. 27، 28. 26 and 39. 50 oC، respectively. The biological days (the minimum number of days required for germination under optimum temperature conditions) tended to be 1. 21. Application of low salinity levels (2 dS/m-1) increased the percentage and rate of germination، roots and shoots length and decreased roots and shoots weight of indigo. Also، with increasing salinity levels the percentage of germination and root growth was decreased. Higher levels of salinity decreased indigo root growth more than shoot growth.

This investigation was carried out to study of nanosilver particles application on antioxidant enzymes activity and photosynthetic pigments during dark storage in two Pelargonium varieties «Anthuny” and “Bluewonder”. Treatments with nanosilver particles was done by foliar spraying in five levels (0، 20، 40، 60، 80 mg. L-1) during dark storage. Results showed that there were significant different between the two varieties in Chl a and b and carotenoids contents under control and nanosilver particles up to 60 mg. L-1. The highest content of Chl a (0. 048 mg. g-1 fw) and carotenoids (1. 72 mg. g-1 fw) were observed in 60 mg L-1 nanosilver particles in Anthuny variety. Activity of SOD enzyme was increased in both varieties under 60 mg. L-1 nanosilver application but was decreased with increasing the concentration to 80 mg L-1. Also، these two varieties showed a significant difference between APX and POD enzyme activities. Increasing of nanosilver particles concentration in higher level caused to more oxidative stress in Bluewonder variety compare to Anthuny variety. Lipid peroxidation in both varieties in different concentrations of nanosilver up to 60 mg L-1 showed a significant difference compared to control variety، as this index in Anthuny variety were lower than Bluewonder variety (respectively 11 and 12. 2 nmol MDA/g. fw-1)، under 60 mg. L-1 nanosilver treatment. The highest concentration of nanosilver not only didnt lipid peroxidation، but also caused severe diminish in longevity of Pelargonium flowers in both varieties.