Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

Abstract

Due to the high requirement of alfalfa to water, research on the role of organic-biofertilizer and chemical fertilizers in adjustment of low irrigation stress is important, thus, this experiment was conducted as a factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research of Khoy in two years (2015-2016). Experimental treatments included irrigation {irrigation at field capacity (control), irrigation at 80% and 60% field capacity} and various fertilizer resources at six level {Mycorrhiza, Nitroxin, Vermicompost, Chicken manure, NPK chemical fertilizer and treatment without fertilizer consumption (control)}. The results of combined analysis showed that irrigation treatment had a significant effect on forage yield, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll, proline, carotenoids, soluble carbohydrates and peroxidase enzyme activity. Regarding the importance of forage production in alfalfa, the results showed that the plant treated with mycorrhiza biofertilizer under full irrigation condition had the similar forage yield as the application of chemical fertilizer, but in both low irrigation conditions, mycorrhiza increase the forage yield by 10.18% in comparison to chemical fertilizer application. Other fertilizer treatments showed different trends in irrigation levels in terms of effect on forage yield, so that under irrigation at 60% field capacity, vermicompost, chicken manure, chemical and control treatments were in a same statistical group. Therefore, considering the disadvantages of using chemical fertilizers, mycorrhiza which has ecological and environmental benefits, can be used in alfalfa cultivation.

Keywords

Abedi, T. & Pakniyat, H. (2010). Antioxidant enzyme changes in response to drought stress in ten cultivars of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Czech Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, 46(1), 27-34.
Adak, T., Singha, A., Kumar, K., Shukla, S. K., Singh, A. & Kumar Singh, V. (2014). Soil organic carbon, dehydrogenase activity, nutrient availability and leaf nutrient content as affected by organic and inorganic source of nutrient in mango orchard soil. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 14(2), 394-406.
Ahmadi, A., Semardeh, S. L. & Zali, A. A. (2004). A comparison between the capacity of photoassimilate storage and remobilization, and their contribution to yield in four wheat cultivars under different moisture regimes. Iranian journal of Agriculture Science, 35(4), 921-931. (In Persian).
Arnon, A. N. (1967). Method of extraction of chlorophyll in the plants. Agronomy Journal, 23, 112-121.
Ashraf, M., Shabaz, M., Mahmood, S & Rasul, E. (2001). Relationship between growth and photosynthetic characteristics in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) under limited water deficit conditions with enhanced nitrogen supplies. Belgian Journal of Botany, 134, 131-144.
Auge, R. M., Toler, H. D. & Saxton, A. M. (2015). Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis alters stomatal conductance of host plants more under drought than under amply watered conditions: a meta-analysis. Mycorrhiza, 25(1), 13-24.
 
Barker, D. J. Sullivan, C. Y. & Moser, L. E. (1993). Water deficit effects on osmotic potential, cell wall elasticity, and praline in five forage grasses. Agronomy Journal, 85(2), 270-275.
Baum, C., El-Tohamy, W. & Gruda, N. (2015). Increasing the productivity and product quality of vegetable crops using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi:a review. Scientia Horticulturae, 187, 131-141.
Cremeneac, L. & Boclaci, T. (2011). The study of the vermicompost influence on the harvest and on the quality of forage culture. Scientific Papers Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 44(2), 192-195.
Demir, S. (2004). Influence of arbuscular mycorrhiza on some physiological growth parameters of peppers. Turkish Journal of Biology, 28(2-4), 85-95.
Draikewicz, M. (1994). Chlorophyllase occurrence functions, mechanism of action, effect of extrnal and internal factors. Photosynthetica, 30, 321-337.
Ehdaie, B., Alloush, G. A., Madore, M. A. & Waines, J. G. (2006). Genotypic variation for stem reserves and mobilization in wheat: I. postanthesis changes in internode dry matter. Crop Science, 46(5), 735- 746.
Fridovich, I. (1989). Superoxide dismutases: an adaptation to a paramagnetic gas. Biological Chemistry, 264(14), 7761-7764.
Guo, Y. A. N. J. U. N., Ni, Y. & Huang, J. (2010). Effects of rhizobium, arbuscular mycorrhiza and lime on nodulation, growth and nutrient uptake of lucerne in acid purplish soil in China. Tropical Grasslands, 44, 109-114.
Guo, Z., Ou, W. Z., Lu, S. Y. & Zhong, Q. (2006). Differential responses of antioxidative system to chilling and drought in four rice cultivars differing in sensitivity. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 44(11-12), 828–836.
Habibzadeh, Y., Jalilian, J., Zardashti, M. R., Pirzad, A. & Eini, O. (2015). Some morpho-physiological characteristics of Mung Bean mycorrhizal plant under different irrigation regimes in field condition. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 38(11), 1754-1767.
Hanson, J. & Smeekens, S. (2009). Sugar perception and signaling- an update. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 12(5), 562–567.
Hasanuzzaman, M., Nahar, K., Gill, S. S. & Fujita, M. (2013). Drought stress responses in plants, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defense. Climate Change and Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance, 18, 209-249.
Herbinger, K., Tausz, M., Wonisch, A., Soja, G., Sorger, A. & Grill, D. (2002). Complex interactive effects of drought and ozone stress on the antioxidant defense systems of two wheat cultivars. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 40(6-8), 691-696.
Irigoyen, J. J., Einerich, D. W. & Sanchez- Diaz, M. (1992). Water stress induced changes in concentrations of proline and total soluble sugars In nodulated alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) plants. Physiologia Plantarum, 84(1), 55-60.
Kranner, I., Beckett, R. P., Wornik, S., Zorn, M. & Pfeifhofer, H. W. (2002). Revival of a resurrection plant correlates with its antioxidant status. The Plant Journal, 31(1), 13-24.
Lauer, M. J. & Boyer, J. S. (1992). Internal CO2 measured directly in leaves abscises acid and low leaf water potential cause opposing effects. Plant Physiology, 98(4), 1310-1316.
Lee, R. E. (2018). Phycology. Cambridge University Press.
Loka, D. A. & Oosterhuis, D. M. (2014). Water-deficit stress effects on pistil biochemistry and leaf physiology in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). South African Journal of Botany, 93, 131-136.
Lokhande, V. H., Nikam, T. D. & Penna, S. (2010). Biochemical, physiological and growth changes in response to salinity in callus cultures of Sesuvium portulacastrum L. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture. 102(1), 17-25.
Malekahmadi, F., Kalantary, KH. & Torkzadeh, M. (2004). The effect of flooding stress on indication of Oxidatives stress and concentration of mineral element in Pepper (Capsicum annum) plants. Iranian journal of Biology (Biological Science Promotion), 18(2), 110-119. (In Persian)
Miller, G. A. D., Suzuki, N., Ciftci-Yilmaz, S. & Mittler, R. O. N. (2010). Reactive oxygen species homeostasis and signaling during drought and salinity stresses. Plant of Cell and Environment, 33(4), 453–467.
Mirzakhani, M., Ardakani, M. R., Rejali, F., Shirani, Rad, A. H. & Aeene Band, A. (2010). Evaluation of seed twofold inoculation by fungi Glomus intraradices mycorrhiza and Azotobacter chorococum with various nitrogen and phosphorus levels use on oil yield and some of traits in safflower. Iranian Journal of Agronomy and Plant Breeding. 6(1), 75-87.
Nagananda, G. S., Das, A., Bhattacharya, S. & Kalpana, T. (2010). In vitro studies on the effects of biofertilizer (Azetobacter and Rizobium) on seed germination and development of Trigonella foemum graecum using a novel glass marble containing liguid medium. International Journal of Botany, 6(4), 394-403.
Norman, S. M., Maier, V. P. & Pon, D. L. (1990). Abscisic acid accumulation, carotenoid, and chlorophyll content in relation to water stress and leaf age of different types of citrus. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 38(6), 1326-1334.
Oliviera-Neto, C. F D., Silva-Lobato, A. K., Goncalves-Vidigal., M. C., Costa, R. C. L D., Santos Filho, B. G. D., Alves, G. A. R., Silva-Maia, W. J. D. M., Cruz, F. J. R., Neves, H. K. B. & Santos Lopes, M. J. (2009). Carbon compounds and chlorophyll contents in sorghum submitted to water deficit during three growth stages. Science and Technology, 7(3&4), 588-593.
Padmavathiamma, P. K., Li, L. Y. & Kumari, U. R. (2008). An experimental study of vermin-biowaste composting for agricultural soil improvement. Bioresource Technology, 99(6), 1672-1681.
Paquin, R. & Lechasseur, P. (1979). Observations sur une methode dosage de la proline libre dans les extraits de plantes. Canadian Journal of Botany, 57(18), 1851-1854.
Patidar, M. & Mali, A. L. (2004). Effect of farmyard manure, fertility levels and bio-fertilizers on growth, yield and quality of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Indian Journal of Agronomy, 49(2), 117-120.
Radović, J., Sokolović, D. & Marković, J. (2009). Alfalfa-most important perennial forage legume in animal husbandry. Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry, 25(5-6-1), 465-475.
Rapparini, F. & Penuelas. J. (2014). Mycorrhizal fungi to alleviate drought stress on plant growth. Miransari M (Eds.), In use of microbes for the alleviation of soil stress, 1, 21-42.
Soliman, A. S., Shanan, N. T., Massoud, O. N. & Swelim, D. M. (2012). Improving salinity tolerance of Acacia saligna (Labill.) plant by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Rhizobium inoculation. African Journal of Biotechnology, 11(5),1259-1266.
Slama, I., Ghnaya, T., Hessini, K., Messedi, D., Savouré, A. & Abdelly, C. (2007). Comparative study of the effects of mannitol and PEG osmotic stress on growth and solute accumulation in Sesuvium portulacastrum. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 61(1), 10-17.
Xiao, X., Xu, X. & Yang, F. (2008). Adaptive responses to progressive drought stress in two Populus cothayana populations. Silva Fennica, 42(5), 705-719.
Xue, G. P., McIntyre, C. L., Glassop, D. & Shorter, R. (2008). Use of expression analysis to dissect alterations in carbohydrate metabolism in wheat leaves during drought stress. Plant Molecular Biology, 67(3), 197–214.
Yang, L., Zhao, F., Chang, Q., Li, T. & Li, F. (2015). Effects of vermicomposts on tomato yield and quality and soil fertility in greenhouse under different soil water regimes. Agricultural Water Management, 160, 98–105.
Zafari, M., Ebadi, A. & Jahanbakhsh, Godehkahriz, S. (2017). Effect of seed inoculation on alfalfa tolerance to water deficit stress. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 45(1), 82-88.
Zhang, K. M., Yu, H. J., Shi, K., Zhou, Y. H., Yu, J. Q. & Xia, X. J. (2010). Photoprotective roles of anthocyanins in Begonia semperflorens. Plant Science, 179(3), 202-208.
Zhang, F., Guo, J. K., Yang, Y. L., He, W. L. & Zhang, L. X. (2004). Changes in the pattern of antioxidant enzymes in wheat exposed to water deficit and rewatering. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 26(3), 345-352.