Azizollah Kheiry; Ahmad Khalighi; Younes Mostofi; Rohangiz Naderi
Volume 13, Issue 1 , August 2011, Pages 9-20
Abstract
Tuberose is one of the most important floral crops in Iran. Long spikes of fragrant flowers make it excellent for cut flower. Due to the beauty and sweet fragrance of flowers, it used in all seasons for flower arrangements. Production of high quality flowers and vase life extension is important for competition ...
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Tuberose is one of the most important floral crops in Iran. Long spikes of fragrant flowers make it excellent for cut flower. Due to the beauty and sweet fragrance of flowers, it used in all seasons for flower arrangements. Production of high quality flowers and vase life extension is important for competition in world markets. For this reason this research was conducted on Polianthes tuberosa var Double base on factorial experiment in RCB (randomized complete block design) with three replications. Both gibberellic acid (GA3) and benzyl adenine (BA) were sprayed on bulbs and foliage of plants at four concentration levels. Results showed that gibberellic acid and benzyl adenine treatments had significant differences in all of the measured indices at one percent level. Gibberellic acid increased stem and rachis length in some concentrations and also accelerated flower stalk emerge. Benzyl adenine increased stem diameter, floret numbers and vase life and preceded flowering. Both of these plant growth regulators improved water uptake by cut flowers and increased diameter of second floret but decreased ethylene production of the flowers. Essential oils of flowers were extracted by solvent extraction method. Both of the plant growth regulators had negative effects on essential oils of flowers, but in 1000 mg.l-1 of BA essential oils of flowers were higher than other concentrations.
Elham Danaie; Younes Mostofi; Pejman Moradi; Reza Azizi nejad
Volume 13, Issue 1 , August 2011, Pages 21-29
Abstract
The effect of gibberelic acid (GA3) and ethanol on the postharvest quality and vase life of gerbera cut flowers was investigated. Freshly cut flower stems of gerbera cultivar ‘Good timing’, were put in vases containing zero, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 300 mgL-1 GA3 for 48 hr and then held in vases ...
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The effect of gibberelic acid (GA3) and ethanol on the postharvest quality and vase life of gerbera cut flowers was investigated. Freshly cut flower stems of gerbera cultivar ‘Good timing’, were put in vases containing zero, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 300 mgL-1 GA3 for 48 hr and then held in vases containing 2.5 percent ethanol and three percent sucrose in two methods. In the first method, the vase solutions were not replaced but in the second method, the vase solutions replaced and refreshed when solution uptake was measured. The vase was placed in chambers at 25°C and relative humidity about 70 percent with 14 hr photoperiod that was maintained using fluorescent lamps (light intensity of 15 µmolm-2s-1). Data were recorded for vase life, fresh weight, solution uptake, membrane stability, total soluble solid over time and analyzed statistically. Results revealed that GA3 with 50 mgL-1 was the most effective treatments for vase life, fresh weight, solution uptake, membrane stability and total soluble solid of gerbera cut flowers. Also results show that application of ethanol in second method (refreshing) was better than application in the first method as constant vase solution.
Azam Razavi Nasab; Hossein Shirani; Ahmad Taj abadi pour; Hossein Dashti
Volume 13, Issue 1 , August 2011, Pages 31-42
Abstract
To study the effect of salinity and organic matter on chemical composition and root morphology of pistachio cv. Badami, budded on seedling root stocks, a greenhouse experiment was conducted as a factorial based on a completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments consisted of four salinity ...
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To study the effect of salinity and organic matter on chemical composition and root morphology of pistachio cv. Badami, budded on seedling root stocks, a greenhouse experiment was conducted as a factorial based on a completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments consisted of four salinity (zero, 800, 1600 and 2400 mg NaCl kg-1 soil) and three organic matter (zero, two and four percent w/w) levels as farmyard manure. As salinity levels increased, shoot nitrogen concentration decreased. Organic matter application increased shoot nitrogen concentration and interaction of salinity and organic matter on this parameter was not significant. Also, salinity had no significant effect on shoot potassium content, while with increasing salinity, root potassium concentration decreased. Application of organic matter increased shoot and root potassium concentration. Adding salinity and organic matter levels increased shoot and root cu concentration significantly. Similar trend was observed on Fe concentration. As salinity levels elevated, root length and density significantly reduced. In addition, adding organic matter improved physical and nutritional soil properties, and because of that significantly increased root length and density and decreased soil penetration.
Ebrahim Rais Mohammadi; Hasan Mohammad Alizade; Mohammad Ali Baghestani Meibodi; Mostafa Arab
Volume 13, Issue 1 , August 2011, Pages 43-54
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted at College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Iran in 2007 to evaluate the herbicides efficacy in a marigold nursery to control weeds including annual flowers. Experimental design was a RCBD with total 12 treatments replicated four times. Treatments were trifluralin ...
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A field experiment was conducted at College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Iran in 2007 to evaluate the herbicides efficacy in a marigold nursery to control weeds including annual flowers. Experimental design was a RCBD with total 12 treatments replicated four times. Treatments were trifluralin preplant incorporated at two and three Li/ha, trifluralin preplant non incorporated at two and three Li/ha, oxyfluorfen preplant at two and three Li/ha, oxyfluorfen postemergence at two and three Li/ha and cholorothol-dimethyl preplant at 10 Kg/ha, two-times hand weeding, weedy and weed free treatments were also included as control. Application of oxyfluorfen preplant and trifluralin preplant at both rates of two and three Li/ha controlled weeds by 70 percent. This treatment had no phytotoxic effects on marigolds and did not reduce their yields either. Among applied herbicides, application of non-soil incorporated trifluralin treatment compared with treatment of the same soil incorporated with herbicides, due to easier application, indicated its preference and also had no phytotoxic effects on marigold.
Mahmoud Ghasemnejad; Roghayeh Ghorban Ali pour; Javad Fattahi Mohgaddam
Volume 13, Issue 1 , August 2011, Pages 55-64
Abstract
Harvesting time of kiwifruit can influence quality characteristics. The current research was carried out according to a completely randomized design with three replications at Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan in 2009. Weight loss, flesh firmness, total soluble solid (TSS), titritable ...
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Harvesting time of kiwifruit can influence quality characteristics. The current research was carried out according to a completely randomized design with three replications at Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan in 2009. Weight loss, flesh firmness, total soluble solid (TSS), titritable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid, total phenol content and antioxidant capacity of harvested fruit at different times was measured after four months storage at 0.5?C. The results showed that fruit weight loss was significantly increased at the end of storage time when fruits harvested with higher ?brix (more than 6.5). Furthermore, flesh firmness of these fruits was significantly reduced during storage. Delay in harvest was resulted to increase of TSS and TSS/TA. Data showed that total phenols and ascorbic acid increased significantly with delay in harvesting time up to 8.5 and nine °brix, respectively after four months storage at 0.5?C and thereafter declined, however antioxidant capacity was higher when fruits harvested with 6.5 and nine ?brix as compared with other harvesting times. Overall, although delay in harvest might increase antioxidant compounds in kiwifruit but reduced storage quality of fruits.
Maryam Haghighi; Hossein Behboudian
Volume 13, Issue 1 , August 2011, Pages 1-8
Abstract
The world is facing a dwindling supply of water, therefore deficit irrigation is becoming more of a necessity than a choice. Partial rootzone drying (PRD) is a new water saving irrigation technique where at each irrigation time only one part of the rootzone is watered. The un-irrigated part is watered ...
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The world is facing a dwindling supply of water, therefore deficit irrigation is becoming more of a necessity than a choice. Partial rootzone drying (PRD) is a new water saving irrigation technique where at each irrigation time only one part of the rootzone is watered. The un-irrigated part is watered during the next irrigation. We explored the potential of PRD for `Petopride´ processing tomato. There were two treatments: control (C, normal irrigation) and PRD. We collected data on water relations of vegetative and reproductive organs. PRD saved water by 50% and increased water use efficiency of the plant compared to C. Leaf water potential was more negative under PRD compared to C. Irrigated and non-irrigated roots of PRD had similar water potential and this could have happened by water movement between the two sides of root system. Water potential of fruit was lower in PRD than in C. But pressure potential (turgor potential) was similar between PRD and C fruit. This was indicative of osmotic adjustment (osmoregulation) in PRD fruit. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of osmotic adjustment of fruit under PRD treatment.
Mahmoud Lotfi; Elham Ali abadi; Ali Rezvani; Reza Amiri
Volume 13, Issue 1 , August 2011, Pages 65-74
Abstract
The effects of priming treatment using five osmotic solutions (PEG, manitol, KNO3, KH2PO4 and combination of two salts) in six osmotic potentials (-1 to -1.5 MPa) was studied on germination percentage, rate and uniformity of melon seeds. The best results were obtained with high concentrations of KNO3 ...
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The effects of priming treatment using five osmotic solutions (PEG, manitol, KNO3, KH2PO4 and combination of two salts) in six osmotic potentials (-1 to -1.5 MPa) was studied on germination percentage, rate and uniformity of melon seeds. The best results were obtained with high concentrations of KNO3 and lower concentrations of manitol. Mean germination time of melon seeds in 19°C was preceeded 36 to 48 hours and more uniformity observed but percent germination decayed a little (1-4 percent) reduced in some cases. In addition, storage of primed seeds in room temperature for four months reduced their quality lightly however major priming effects were conserved. In second trial which was done using KNO3 and manitol seeds were suspended in solutions freely or inside bags and also under temperatures 19°C and 22°C, the fastest germination was occurred using manitol inside bags and -1.5 MPa. Effects of priming were more abvious in lower temperatures and also lower potentials showed had better results for uniformity, consistantly.