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Salt stress is one of the major adverse environmental factors limiting crop productivity. Considering Iran as one of the bread wheat origins, we sequenced root transcriptome of an Iranian salt tolerant cultivar, Arg, under salt stress to extend our knowledge of the molecular basis of salinity tolerance in Triticum aestivum. RNA sequencing resulted in more than 113 million reads and about 104013 genes were obtained, among which 26171 novel transcripts were identified. A comparison of abundances showed that 5128 genes were differentially expressed due to salt stress. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were annotated with Gene Ontology terms, and the key pathways were identified using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG) pathway mapping. The DEGs could be classified into 227 KEGG pathways among which transporters, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, transcription factors, glycosyltransferases, glutathione metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction represented the most significant pathways. Furthermore, the expression pattern of nine genes involved in salt stress response was compared between the salt tolerant (Arg) and susceptible (Moghan3) cultivars. A panel of novel genes and transcripts is found in this research to be differentially expressed under salinity in Arg cultivar and a model is proposed for salt stress response in this salt tolerant cultivar of wheat employing the DEGs. The achieved results can be beneficial for better understanding and improvement of salt tolerance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destruction caused by plant diseases is terrible. Mexican lime witches' broom (MLWB) is a phytoplasma disease, which has caused considerable damage in Mexican lime tree in southern parts of Iran. In order to protect the plant against this pathogen, it is required to apply an appropriate treatment to induce resistance. Moreover, for better comprehension of disease mechanism, the analysis of phytohormones as one of the most critical basic components in plant cells, probably involved in resistance mechanisms, is of great importance. In this work, Mexican lime trees infected with lime witches'-broom phytoplasma (LWBP) were treated with Previcur EnergyTm (31% fosetyl-Alluminum plus 53% propamocarb) 4/000 as the resistance inducer against phytoplasma. In the next step, phytohormone levels in healthy Mexican lime were compared with those of infected and treated lime trees. For analysis of phytohormones, one-step dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-multiple reaction monitoring (LC–MS/MS-MRM) mode was used. A total of 54 phytohormones including cytokinins, auxins, jasmonates, gibberellins, salicylic acid and abscisic acid groups were simultaneously analyzed for treated, infected, and healthy plants. Totally, 18 phytohormones from plant leave extract were detected, among which levels of 11 phytohormones including SA, JA, JA-Phe, JA-Ile, JA-Leu, OPDA, CZ, iP7G, cZ9G, TZr and 2MeStZR were significantly changed in both infected and treated plants. Result of the present study indicated that the applied treatment was able to reduce the severity score in plant. On the other hand, phytoplasma (as a biotic stress) and treatment with Previcur EnergyTm (as a resistance inducer) could affect fundamental processes in plant via regulation of phytohormone levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, vascular wilt disease has caused considerable damages in tomato greenhouses. Fusarium oxysporum is a common pathogen of tomato and produces a variety of toxins, pigments, and phytohormones. It has caused huge crop damage in south of Iran. Damage increases in relatively warm climate. Fusarium oxysporum were identified from contaminated tissues. Thirty five of 50 isolates from samples collected from tomato greenhouses in southeast of Iran were identified as F. oxysporom. Then, F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) and F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis lycopersici (Forl) were differentiated from each other by host range and molecular methods. Fol is only pathogenic on tomato and Forl is pathogenic on other hosts from Cucurbitaceae family in addition to tomato. Molecular identification of isolates was obtained by Hirano methods. DNAs of each isolates were reproduced by using uni, sp13 and sp23 specific primers. Based on this study, 4 isolates were identified as race1, 4 isolates as race 2, 13 isolates as race 3, and 14 isolates as Forl. This is the first report of formae specialis and physiological races of this pathogen in this region. Race 3 is reported for the first time in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With respect to country need to edible oils, it is more important to extend the cultivation of oilseeds. Although, safflower is the native plant of Iran and it is resistant to drought and salty stresses, but a few studies have been done on it. Today, improvement and manipulating of some of undesirable traits of safflower is possible by genetic engineering tools. During the manipulating process, important stages of tissue culture specially, regeneration phase of deformed plant has high worth. In order to evaluate the effect of explants, type of hormones and hormone levels on callus length and weight in summer safflower cultivars, an experiment was carried out in factorial based on randomized complete block design with 3 replications and four factors (safflower cultivars, explants, type of hormones and hormone levels ) in 2011. Results showed that safflower cultivars (Iraqi 222 and 34069) and explants (hypocotyle and cotyledon) had a significant effect on the callus length. Based on the results, the effect of hormones and hormone levels were significant on callus weight. 34069 and hypocotyle were known as a premier compounds due to maximum length of callus and Iraqi 222 at both explants were known as low yield compound due to the shortest callus length. Also it was revealed maximum callus weight was related to hormone levels (2 mg per liter) and Zeatin hormone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water shortage is a critical problem touching plant growth and yield in arid and semi-arid areas such as Iran. Plant hormones such as jasmonic acid (JA) play a crucial role in altering plant morphology in response to stress. To investigate the effect of JA and drought stress on grain yield and some physiological and biochemical characteristics of quinoa cultivars, a split-plot factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted at Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center over two crop years (2018-2019). In this experiment, drought stress as the main factor in two levels including non-stress and stress based on 60% and 90% soil available moisture depletion and JA foliar application (0, 1 and 2 mg L-1) and cultivars (Giza1, Titicaca, Q29) respectively, as factorial were sub factor. The maximum grain yield (3775 kg ha-1) was obtained in Giza1 cultivar under non-stress condition and 1 mg L-1 JA foliar application. The greatest grain protein and total chlorophyll content were obtained in Titicaca cultivar under non-stress and 1 mg L-1 JA foliar application by 18.17% and 1.83 mg g-1 fresh leaf weight, respectively. In the opposite trend, the maximum amount of malondialdehyde was observed under drought stress and non-use of JA. In general, given the results of this study, it can be stated that JA caused an increase in grain yield in quinoa cultivars by reducing the harmful effects of drought stress and improving plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to screen air pollution-induced stress in some plant species in the Sejzi industrial region (Isfahan, Iran). An assessment of APTI and other physiological and biochemical features of significant species in the area was conducted across three seasons: spring, summer, and autumn. The physiological and biochemical factors of the following species were evaluated: Limonium persicum, Atriplex lentiformis, Nitraria schoberi, Haloxylon persicum, Tamarix hispida, Zygophyllum atriplicoides, Karelinia caspica, and Prosopis farcta. The physiological factors assessed included acidity and relative humidity content, while the biochemical factors assessed included proline, sugar, ascorbic acid, and total chlorophyll. Subsequently, a thorough evaluation was carried out on the species under investigation to ascertain their biomonitors' capabilities and APTI. The study findings indicated that the species P. farcta, N. schoberi, and K. caspica consistently had high APTI values during the spring, autumn, and summer seasons, classifying them as tolerant plant species. Conversely, the observed traits showed significant fluctuations across the seasons. The investigation's findings indicate that the species L. persicum, N. schoberi, and K. caspica exhibit higher annual averages of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid compared to other species. The examination of the annual variation in the tolerance levels of plant species to pollution ranked from highest to lowest was as follows: N. schoberi, P. farcta, K. caspica, Z. atriplicoides, H. persicum, T. hispida, L. persicum, and A. lentiformis. Moreover, based on the annual average, the primary determinants that impact the APTI in the species being studied include ascorbic acid (35%), leaf acidity (19%), total chlorophyll content (35%), and relative humidity content (69%). Furthermore, a distinct and significant correlation was found between proline and sugar levels and the annual APTI values. Additionally, the species P. farcta had the highest API compared to other species. The study revealed the high potential of some plant species against air pollution induced stress which can be used in air and dust pollution management in the region., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Strawberry root rot caused by Rhizoctonia spp. is a serious threat to strawberry production worldwide. Some Trichoderma isolates have been used in agriculture as biocontrol agents against phytopathogens, and as plant growth promoting biostimulants. In the present study, using selective medium, a total of 200 isolates of Trichoderma were isolated from soil samples collected from diverse geographical regions of the Lorestan Province, Iran. The in vitro and in vivo antagonistic potential of Trichoderma isolates were evaluated against R. solani isolated from diseased strawberry plants, and their growth promoting potential on strawberry plants were tested. The isolates with higher percentage of growth inhibition in the dual culture test were selected and identified based on morphological, molecular and phylogenetic analysis combined of ITS region and tef1 gene sequences. Ten superior antagonistic isolates, which suppressed colony growth of R. solani by 45–62.5%, were tested in vitro for the production of volatile metabolites. All selected isolates produced volatile metabolites and reduced mycelial growth of R. solani from 21 to 74%. LT140 and LT8, and LT9 decreased 67.8, 64.2 and 57.1% strawberry root rot incidence, respectively. Higher shoot height and dry weight were recorded by these three isolates, while the maximum root length and dry weight recorded for LT7, in both pathogen inoculated and non-inoculated treated soils. All isolates considerably increased peroxidase, catalase, phenol, chlorophyll and proline activities, which play important roles in plant defense mechanisms. It is concluded that these Trichoderma isolates are efficient agents to control Rhizoctonia root rot of strawberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation is an economical technique for the biological treatment of soil and water contamination. Improving the growth of plants used in this technique leads to greater efficiency of the process. Herein, Lemna minor plant used in phytoremediation was collected from Sarab-e Nilufar region of Kermanshah province, Iran, and maintained in a culture medium. This study focused on the preparation of Ormus solution based on crystalline salt extracted from the salt mountains of Karmowstaj region in Fars province, Iran, to increase the proliferation of Lemna minor. The optimal growth conditions, including the pH of the medium, the residence time in the Ormus preparation process, and the concentration of Ormus solution were analyzed using the response surface methodology (RSM) based on a Box-Behnken design (BBD) model. Numerical optimization based on the quadratic model was carried out to achieve the maximum growth percentage. The percentage of the proliferation of Lemna minor varied from 34.6% to 117.3%, while growth was highest at a medium pH value of 10.75, a residence time of 72 h in the Ormus preparation process, and an Ormus concentration of 17 g.L−1. The results revealed that Ormus, as a supplemental fertilizer, under optimal conditions can significantly increase the rate of plant reproduction. Herein, the Ormus solution was applied for the first time to increase plant growth. In addition, the operating factors, including the pH of the medium, the residence time in the Ormus preparation process, and the concentration of Ormus solution, were optimized using the RSM based on a BBD model. In this study, Ormus was introduced under optimal conditions as a suitable additive to increase the proliferation rate of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic compounds naturally found in plants. Many flavonoids are the basis of herbal medicines and have effective pharmacological effects. Rutin is one of the flavonoids used as a reagent in the study of flavonoids and is also considered an antioxidant. This study was conducted to isolate and identify rutin-producing endophytic fungi from C. spinosa. Materials and Methods: Sampling was performed in 10 regions of Iran and was taken from different tissues (including leaves, stems, roots, and fruits). After surface disinfection, explants were placed on a PDA medium and the fungal isolates were purified. Molecular identification of isolates was performed by sequencing ITS1-5.8S-ITS2. Morphological identification of fungi was performed by microscopic slide preparation and fungus identification keys. Methanolic extract of fungi was prepared by the maceration method and the presence of rutin was investigated using the HPLC technique. Results: A total of 24 fungi were identified. HPLC analysis showed that the peak of standard flavonoids including rutin, quercetin, and apigenin appeared at 3.82, 7.60, and 12.40 min, respectively. Results showed that only two isolates were able to produce rutin. A comparison of the mean production of rutin showed a significant difference between the two fungi. Alternaria alternata M28 (22.94 ppm) had the highest amount of rutin production. Results also showed that rutin production in the mycelial tissue was more than in the extracellular medium, so A. alternata M28 and Paecilomyces maximus M7 had rutin content of about 67.5 and 5.56 times, respectively. Discussion and Conclusion: Fungal rutin in methanolic extracts was characterized by HPLC. This is the first report showing that endophytic fungi have a potential for rutin production from C. spinosa and more research on these isolates can increase the amount of rutin production in them and lead to the possible commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the enzymatic, biochemical, and agronomic response of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) to biofertilisers and zinc nanoparticles under different irrigation regimes, an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Station of Miandoab, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Three irrigation levels: normal, mild stress, and severe water stress, were applied (control - without irrigation) in the main plots, and three fertilisation treatments: seed inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), zinc nano-oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), and AMF + ZnO NPs, were applied (control - without fertilisers) in the sub-plots in two years. The severe water stress reduced the content of chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids by 14.53, 8.09, and 22.11 %, respectively, and increased the content of leaf flavonoids and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 34.17% and 33.14%, respectively, compared to normal irrigation. The AMF + ZnO NPs treatment increased the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and SOD by 36.76, 12.61, 10.36, and 10.18 %, respectively, compared to the control treatment. The highest root yield, sugar yield, and white sugar yield provided the AMF + ZnO NPs treatment under normal irrigation. The highest proline content, total phenolic content (TPC), catalase (CAT) activity, sugar content, and white sugar content were found in sugar beets treated with AMF + ZnO NPs under severe water stress. The AMF + ZnO NPs treatment under normal irrigation and mild water stress and ZnO NPs one under severe water stress increased the white sugar yield by 42.67, 55.69, and 20.11 %, compared to the control treatment. Thus, treating with AMF + ZnO NPs under normal and mild water stress and applying of ZnO NPs under severe water stress can be a solution to increase the economic yield of sugar beet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most cultivated tree species in Iran. This plant is characterized by its tolerance to drought, salt, and heat stresses while being vulnerable to frost. During the last decade, periods of frost have occurred several times in Golestan Province, in the northeast of Iran, which caused severe damage to olive groves. This study aimed to evaluate and individuate autochthonous Iranian olive varieties with regard to frost tolerance and good agronomic performance. For this purpose, 218 frost-tolerant olive trees were selected from 150,000 adult olive trees (15-25 years old), following the last harsh autumn of 2016. The selected trees were reassessed at different intervals, i.e., 1, 4, and 7 months after the cold stress in field conditions. Using 19 morphoagronomic traits, 45 individual trees with relatively stable frost-tolerance were reevaluated and selected for this research. Ten highly discriminating microsatellite markers were used for the genetic profiling of the 45 selected olive trees, and, ultimately, five genotypes with the highest tolerance among 45 selected ones were placed in a cold room at freezing temperatures for image analyses of cold damage. The results of morpho-agronomic analyses evidenced no bark splitting or symptoms of leaf drop in the 45 cold-tolerant olives (CTOs). The oil content of the cold-tolerant trees comprised almost 40% of the fruit dry weight, highlighting the potential of these varieties for oil production. Moreover, through molecular characterization, 36 unique molecular profiles were individuated among the 45 analyzed CTOs that were genetically more similar to the Mediterranean olive cultivars than the Iranian ones. The present study demonstrated the high potential of local olive varieties, which would be promising and more suitable than commercial olive varieties, with regard to the establishment of olive groves under cold climate conditions. This could be a valuable genetic resource for future breeding activities to face climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is one of the important pests of cruciferous plants throughout the world including Iran. In the present study, we grew cultivated canola plants under different fertilizers or distilled water and sprayed them with 100 µM abscisic acid (ABA) or a control solution (NaOH dissolved in water) to study (i) the antibiosis parameters of B. brassicae on these plants; (ii) the antixenosis of B. brassicae adults on these plants; (iii) the plant's peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity; and (iv) the plant's total phenolic and glucosinolate content. The results of antibiosis experiments showed that ABA and fertilizers have a profound and negative effect on the performance of B. brassicae. In the antixenosis experiment, control plants attracted a significantly higher number of adult females in comparison to treated plants. Also, B. brassicae had lower performance and preference when they were reared on the ABA-treated fertilized plants with higher levels of phenolic and glucosinolate content. These results prompted us to hypothesize that fertilizers enable canola plants to trigger a higher level of secondary metabolites. Our findings reveal that the type and level of nutrient availability may have different impacts on how the plant regulates its defense mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Allochrusa (Caryophyllaceae) comprises nine species, which are native to Central Asia, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and the Caucasus. They have been used in folk medicine and in the preparation of various sweets and detergents, especially in Asian countries. A diversity of secondary metabolites has been reported from the genus Allochrusa, including triterpene glycosides, ecdysteroids, flavonoids, volatile compounds, fatty acids, polysaccharides, pectins, hemicelluloses, and other phytochemicals. In vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies on isolated compound fractions and extracts from Allochrusa species showed anti-inflammatory, adjuvant, hemolytic, cytotoxic, antifungal, analgesic, antioxidant, and other activities. In this review, the chemical compounds and diverse biological activities of the Allochrusa genus are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus bacteria are a group of plant growth stimulants that increase plant growth and resistance to plant pathogens by producing various metabolites. With their large surface area and small size, nanoparticles can be used in controlled-release formulations and increase the efficiency of the desired product. Encapsulation of biological agents in combination with nanoparticles can be an essential step in increasing the performance of these agents in adverse environmental conditions. In this study, which is the result of a collaboration between scientists from Italy and Iran, Bacillus velezensis was encapsulated in alginate combined with whey protein and zedo, mastic, and tragacanth gums in the presence of silica and titania nanoparticles to obtain two-layer and multilayer assemblies acting as novel, smart micro-encapsulation systems. The results of laboratory studies showed that the B. velezensis could produce protease, lipase, siderophore, auxin, and a dissolution of mineral phosphate. Scanning electron microscopy images (SEM) showed that the studied microcapsules were almost spherical. Moisture affinity, swelling, and efficiency of each microcapsule were examined. The results showed that the highest encapsulation efficiency (94.3%) was related to the multilayer formulation of alginate-whey protein-zedo. XRD and FTIR spectroscopy showed that the alginate, whey protein, and zedo were mixed properly and no incompatible composition occurred in the reaction. This study aimed to provide a suitable formulation of biofertilizers based on biodegradable compounds as an alternative to chemical fertilizers, which is low cost and very effective without harming humans and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of information on the rhizosphere of nut-bearing trees where microbial populations can benefit roots and tree growth. The current research aimed at discovering plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the rhizosphere of soil samples from around the root zone of six walnut trees, each of which was considered as a genotype, i.e. 'TT1', 'TT2', 'SS2', 'ZM1', 'Chandler' and 'Haward'. The trees grew in different arid and semiarid regions of Iran and Turkey. The strains were isolated and identified based on different morphological and biochemical markers. Drought-stress tolerance was assessed in the case of each isolate through their transfer to culture medium, containing polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) at 0 and 373.80 g L−1. Resilient strains were analyzed for measuring their ability to produce siderophore, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and Gibberellic acid (GA3). In sum, 211 isolates were identified, of which a large number belonged to the Bacillus genus and, specifically, 78% of the strains were able to grow under drought stress conditions. The genus Arthrobacter was only detected in the rhizosphere of 'ZM1', 'Haward' and 'TT1' genotypes. In 4% of the strains, IAA production exceeded 53 mg L−1, while a high level of phosphorus solubility was verified in 6% of the strains. No strain was found to have the capability of producing HCN. The strains were screened for drought-tolerance, which resulted in the discovery of two promising strains, i.e. ZM39 and Cha43. Based on molecular identification through amplification and sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene, these two strains seemed to belong to Bacillus velezensis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, respectively. The discovery of new PGPR strains could probably assist walnut trees in improving their mechanisms of adaptation to drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The strawberry is an important commercial crop, the improvement of its yield and quality is an imperative task. OBJECTIVE: The present research aimed to study the effect of colored netting and foliar application of amino acids on the physiological characteristics of strawberries subjected to different irrigation intervals. METHODS: The study was carried out as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three factors including colored net at 4 levels (no netting, green, red, and yellow netting), organic acids at 4 levels (control, humic acid, glutamine, and arginine), and three levels of irrigation intervals (2, 4, and 6 days) in the greenhouse of Lahijan Agricultural Research Station, Iran. RESULTS: The results showed that the highest leaf number, shoot weight, chlorophyll and carotenoid content were related to yellow netting. The highest fruit yield, anthocyanins, and flavonoids were observed in the treatments of no-netting, green netting, and red netting, respectively. Data for the effect of organic acids showed that the glutamine-treated plants exhibited the highest yield, the humic acid-treated plants displayed the highest anthocyanin and carotenoid content, and the arginine-treated plants demonstrated the highest vitamin C content. The irrigation interval of 6 days caused to the lowest leaf number, flower and fruit number, shoot weight, fruit yield, and carotenoid content. Data for the trilateral effect of 'netting×organic acid×irrigation' showed that the highest flower number and fruit yield were obtained from 'green netting×glutamine×4 days', the highest anthocyanin content was obtained from 'green netting×humic acid×2 days', and the highest chlorophyll content was obtained from 'green netting×control×6 days'. The treatment of 'yellow netting×control×2 days' was related to the highest flavonoid content. CONCLUSIONS: The application of colored nets provides the strawberry with more optimal vegetative and reproductive growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate water use efficiency (WUE), protein and grain yield of wheat under the interaction of biological and chemical fertilizers in different moisture regimes. To that end, a split-plot based on a randomized complete block design with four replications was conducted over two cropping years of 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 at Zakah–Zabol Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Station in Iran. Irrigation regime was applied at three levels, serving as the main plot. On the other hand, biofertilizer resources along with chemical fertilizer were employed at seven levels as the sub-plots. Based on slicing of interactions, biofertilizers significantly affected offsetting the losses resulting from the moisture regime stress. Consequently, grain yield, harvest index and protein percentage in the Azotobacter biofertilizer treated with 50% of the locally common chemical fertilizer (respectively) showed a 37.8, 30.55 and 29.62% increase in comparison with the control group. The highest percent of seed protein and biological yield were observed in the treatments with a combination of Azotobacter and phosphobacteria biofertilizers, showing 61.28% and 16.13% increase, relative to the control, respectively. Azotobacter and phosphobacteria biofertilizers, alone or in combination, increased the grain yield, biological yield, harvest index, water use efficiency and protein percentage in the Arg wheat cultivar. Overall, the results of this study revealed that biological fertilizers, in addition to offsetting the losses resulting from the moisture regime stress, had a positive effect on improving the quantitative and qualitative yield of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oils of leaf, flower, immature and mature fruit from Ferula pseudalliacea (Apiaceae) which grow wildly in Iran as an endemic plant were obtained by hydro-distillation and subsequently analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The oils obtained in yields 0.4-4.0% (w/w) and the analysis of GC-MS/FID chromatogram was resulted in the identification of 43-47 compounds, representing 90.9 − 96.7% of the total oils. α-Pinene was the main compound in all samples. The oils exhibited mild activity against Bacillus pumilus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus with or more than 15 mm zones of growth inhibition and MIC values of 9-15 mg/ml. Essential oil of immature and mature fruits showed potent antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 35.4 ± 0.4 and 39.1 ± 0.4 µg/mL, respectively. So, this plant as an antibacterial and antioxidant agent can be useful in food and medicine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water deficiency, especially in the arid and semi-arid areas, necessitates the proper water use and recycling. The objective was to investigate the effects of deficit irrigation as well as treated wastewater on the biochemical properties of Rosmarinus officinalis L., grown in the arid area of Iranshahr, Iran. A split-split plot design on the basis of a complete randomized block design with three replicates was conducted in 2017. Irrigation water treatments of (I1 = 100% of field capacity, FC), 75% of FC (I2), and 50% of FC (I3) as main plots, reduced (S1), and partial irrigation (S2), as sub-plots, and well water (Q1), treated wastewater (Q2), and the combination of Q1 and Q2 (Q3, 50% + 50%), as sub-sub plots, were tested. Plant biochemical properties including proline (Pr), soluble sugars (SS), and essential oil volume (V) and yield (Y) as well as water use efficiency (WUE) were determined. The I2, treatment, compared with I1, increased Pr, SS, V, Y and WUE by 34.4, 31.9, 52.6, 34.3, and 48.1%, respectively. The S2 treatment also increased plant biochemical properties more than 45% related to S1, and Q2 significantly enhanced the measured parameters compared with Q1 and Q3. Treated wastewater improved the essential oil yield of the plant in water deficit conditions. Accordingly, under deficit water conditions, treatment I2S2, and in the case of unfavorable water sources and deficit water conditions, treatment I2Q2 are recommendable to alleviate water stress and improve the biochemical properties of Rosmarinus officinalis L. in the arid areas., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Evaluate silica fertilizer's effect on the quantitative and qualitative yield of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) under drought stress. A split-plot experiment was implemented in a randomized block design with three replications in two cropping years, 2017-2018, in a farm located in the Varamin - Iran. The treatments included irrigation at three levels of 60, 120 and 180 mm of evaporation from class A's evaporation pan level. The main factor was silica fertilizer as non-consumption (control), foliar application and silica irrigation fertilizer as a secondary factor. Based on the obtained results, the treatment containing total chlorophyll, RWC and stomatal conductance was obtained from the 60 mm evaporation treatment and silica fertilizer use in irrigation water. The use of silica fertilizer as irrigation water reduced the Hydrogen cyanide content by 4%. The highest amount of crude protein was estimated to be 12.60 from 180 mm stress treatment and the use of silica fertilizer in irrigation water, which were 19% higher than the control treatment, respectively. The best sorghum dry forage yield was obtained from 60 mm evaporation irrigation and silica irrigation fertilizer with an average of 82.22 ton ha-1, which was 52% higher than the 180 mm evaporation stress treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frost injury is one of the major limiting factors to horticultural crops production and distribution. Despite numerous efforts and researches concerning freezing injury reduction, it still accounts for more than 50% of the fruit losses in the horticulture sector. In the present investigation, we aimed to investigate the effects of different antifreeze compounds (Tiofer®, Cropaid®, Bio-Bloom®, amino acid (mixture), salicylic acid, and water (control)) on pistachio trees behavior under low-temperature regimes (2 °C, 0 °C, −2 °C, −4 °C, −6 °C, and spring natural temperature). The applied chemicals improved the osmolyte content during the cold stress. Tiofer® and Cropaid® could increase the proline content better than other compounds. Salicylic acid and Cropaid® application increased the guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) content better than other compounds. For ascorbate peroxidase (APX), Tiofer® and Bio-Bloom®, and for catalase (CAT), Tiofer®, Cropaid®, and salicylic acid performed better. Applying chemicals also improved the photosynthetic pigments under cold stress. Among all treatments, Tiofer® and Bio-Bloom® improved the chlorophyll a (Chla), while chlorophyll b (Chlb) better improved by Tiofer® and Cropaid®; moreover, carotenoids had better increase in Cropaid®, amino acid, and salicylic acid treatments. All applied chemicals except Tiofer® had a good effect on the anthocyanin content increase under cold stress. In conclusion, based on the findings presented here, applying antifreeze compounds, such as Tiofer®, Cropaid® Bio-Bloom®, salicylic acid, and amino acid, could effectively ameliorate the adverse effects of cold stress. Osmolytes and antioxidant (GPX, APX, CAT) contents, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b and carotenoid), and anthocyanins were improved. Among all applied antifreezes, Tiofer® and Cropaid® were the most effective ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their interesting properties for human health, medicinal plants are of worldwide interest, including Iran. More has yet to be investigated and analyzed on the use of methods affecting medicinal plant growth and biochemical properties under stress. The important question about medicinal plants is the purpose of their plantation, determining their growth conditions. The present review article is about the effects of salinity stress on the growth and production of secondary metabolites (SM) in medicinal plants. In stressful conditions including salinity, while the growth of medicinal plants decreases, the production of secondary metabolites (SM) may increase significantly affecting plant medicinal properties. SMs are self-protective substances that medicinal plants quickly accumulate to resist changes in the external environment. Although previous research has indicated the effects of salt stress on the growth and yield of medicinal plants, more has yet to be indicated on how the use of biological methods including plant growth regulators (PGR) and soil microbes (mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, PGPR) may affect the physiology of medicinal plants and the subsequent production of SM in salt stress conditions. The use of modern omics has become significantly important for the identification and characterization of new SM, transcriptomics, genomics, and proteomics of medicinal plants, as well as for the high production of plant-derived medicines. Accordingly, the possible biological mechanisms, which may affect such properties, have been presented. Future research perspectives for the production of medicinal plants in saline fields, using biological methods, have been suggested. Key points: • The important question about medicinal plants is the purpose of their plantation. • Secondary metabolites (SM) may significantly increase under salinity stress. • Biological methods, affecting the production of SM by stressed medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testing and developing nutrient diagnosis methods, which can result in the optimum production of fruits, is of significance. The nutritional balance and requirements of almond (Prunus sp.) orchards, in the city of Saman (province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran, one of the biggest producers of almond in the country), were investigated using the methods of diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS) and deviation from optimum percentage (DOP) in a two-year research. Using 36 gardens along the Zayandehrud River in a 60-km distance, soil physical and chemical properties, as well as leaf micro- and macro-nutrient contents were determined. Similar plant samples (leaf + petiole) in terms of age, genotype and rootstock were collected from the unfruitful trees. The most deficient nutrients including S, Cu, Zn and Mn were indicated by the DRIS and DOP methods. However, according to the DRIS method Mg, and according to the DOP method N, K and Mg were determined as the most excessive macronutrients. Interestingly, both methods indicated Mo as the most excessive micronutrient. The balance indexes of different nutrients for different orchards indicated that the nutritional balances of the orchards from the highest to the least deficiency are according to the following order Cu > S > Zn > Mn > Cl > P > Ca > Mg > B > N > K > Fe > Mo. Such results indicate the precisions and some similarities between the two methods. However, the two methods were compared using SAS Proc GLM, Proc REG, and Proc NLIN. The analyses indicated that the two methods were significantly different and the DOP method (significant model) indicated higher correlation with the results. Accordingly, the DOP method may be a more accurate method of estimating almond yield as affected by the concentration of different nutrients. It is possible to determine the deficiency, balance and excessiveness of nutrients in almond orchards using the DRIS and DOP methods, which is of economic and environmental significance, worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most important environmental constraints that negatively affect the growth and yield of plants worldwide. Application of plant growth regulators such as brassinosteroids is a practical and alternative approach to ameliorate the drought-induced damages in plants. In the present research, the effect of exogenously applied EBL and various drought stress intensities on lavender plants were studied in a factorial field experiment at two locations in northeast of Iran. The results revealed that drought stress had negative impacts on shoot dry matter, and pigments content of lavender plants in both regions, however, EBL application led to improve in plant characteristics under drought stress. The greatest essential oils content and free proline content were observed in plants sprayed with EBL under drought stress conditions. Drought stress resulted in a significant increase in H2O2 and MDA content in plants, but the content of these oxidative stress markers was lower in plants sprayed with EBL compared to the non-sprayed plants. Drought stress increased the total phenol in plants. The major compounds of lavender EOs were α-thujene, γ-terpinene, linalool oxide, α-terpinolene, α-thujone, camphor and α-humulene. The foliar EBL application partially ameliorated the negative impacts of drought stress and improved the growth and morpho-physiological attributes of lavender plants along with their essential oil content and major constituents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catharanthus roseus is a great medicinal plant used for treating diseases such as cancer, as it contains different biochemicals including terpenoids. Salinity is a major stress, significantly decreasing the growth and yield of medicinal plants, worldwide. However, to our knowledge, there is not any data on the growth improvement in C. roseus seedling under salinity stress using the priming techniques tested in the presented research. The objective was to investigate the effects of seed priming including hydro- (distilled water), osmo- (KNO3 1%), and hormonal priming (salicylic acid, SA 0.5 mM) on the seedling growth of C. roseus under natural salinity (salt obtained from Qom Lake, Iran) of 0, 2.95, 5.66, 8.13, and 10.66 dSm−1. The treated seeds were grown in Petri dishes and placed in a germinator (25 ± 1 °C) for germination and the growth of seedlings. The plant seedlings were planted in the greenhouse conditions and treated during the V6–V8 growth stage with the salinity treatments (a factorial design on the basis of a completely randomized block design with three replicates) under hydroponics conditions. Different morphological properties of C. roseus including the length and the dry weight of rootlet, plumule, and seedling as well as leaf relative water content (RWC) were measured. The results indicated the alleviating effects of different priming techniques on the growth of C. roseus under natural salt stress. Although the effect of priming was not significant on RWC, salt stress and its interaction with priming significantly affected RWC indicating that the alleviating effect of priming on RWC is a function of salinity level. With increasing the level of salinity, rootlet dry weight increased, which indicates the allocation of more carbon to the roots under stress. It is possible to plant C. roseus in saline fields using the priming techniques tested in this research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Crop Production & Processing is the property of Isfahan University of Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Witches' broom disease of lime (WBDL), caused by 'Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia', is a major limiting factor for Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) production in southern Iran. Here, nutritional status and biochemical composition of healthy and infected Mexican lime in a greenhouse were compared between uninoculated (healthy) plants and plants 52 weeks after inoculation with the phytoplasma. Leaves from healthy and infected plants were sampled to measure total phenolics, antioxidant capacity, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase enzymatic activities, soluble carbohydrate, and starch. Macro- and microelements were also measured in leaves, stems, and roots of the plants. The results showed that phytoplasma infection led to a marked increase in soluble carbohydrates and starch in the leaves, but to a reduction in the roots. In leaves and roots, antioxidant capacity, phenolics, and peroxidase activity were enhanced after infection; nitrogen, calcium, boron, and manganese were significantly lower and phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, and copper significantly higher in the infected leaves. This study provides new insights on metabolic and nutritional changes associated with WBDL in the greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High concentrations of various heavy metals of mine tailings can easily contaminate the environment. Such materials need monitoring and remediation to prevent them from polluting the environment and food chain. Methods: The concentrations of certain metals were evaluated in the soil samples at Sorkheh and Mazraeh copper mining areas in northwestern Iran, using three reliable pollution indices. We assessed the ability of three plants, Alhaji maurorum and Stachys inflata at Sorkheh mines, and Cirsium vulgare at Mazraeh mines, the dominant plants grown in those areas, in taking up the metals from the associated soils. The plant and soil samples were analyzed inductively by coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: The results revealed that the soil samples at Sorkheh and Mazraeh mining areas were highly contaminated with As at CF values of 16.9 and 4.6, respectively. The soil samples from the two mining areas were moderately contaminated with Pb and Zn. The data confirmed that A. maurorum and S. inflata had a good ability to accumulate Cd, Mo and Sc from the soils in Sorkheh area. The other plant, C. vulgare, accumulated Zn and Pb at 1891 mg/kg and 18.6 mg/ kg, respectively. The studied plants were good indicators of heavy metals contaminating the soils in these mining areas. Conclusion: This study provided geochemical evidence about the heavy metals that contaminated the soils in the mining areas, and contributed new information about these toxic metals and their concentrations in the three plants and the soil samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study on sugar beet with foliar application of jasmonic acid (JA) was evaluated under deficit irrigation regimes. The experiment was carried out in randomized complete block design with three replicates at two locations (Shahrekord and Shalamzar) in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province, Iran during 2015 growing season. The experiment applied JA on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) at two different concentrations of 5, 10 µM and control (foliar with water) under three water requirement of sugar beet (100, 75 and 50%). Physiological parameters of the sugar beet such as proline, soluble carbohydrates, chlorophyll content, carotenoid, anthocyanin, membrane stability index, root sugar content, root yield and sugar yield were evaluated. The results revealed water deficit led to decreases in carotenoid, chlorophyll content, relative water content, membrane stability index, root yield and sugar yield while proline and root sugar content increased significantly. Foliar application of JA resulted in notable improvements in the mean of all traits. JA amendment positively affected plant water relations mostly due to enhancements in osmoregulation. Ameliorative effects of exogenous JA tended to be greater in drought-stressed sugar beet plants as it led to the enhancement of chlorophyll content and relative water content in water deficit conditions. The results in this study demonstrated that the foliar application of JA significantly mitigated detrimental effects of water stress in sugar beet with increased root sugar content and sugar yield under water deficit regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Walnut production is challenged by climate change and abiotic stresses. Elucidating the genomic basis of adaptation to climate is essential to breeding drought-tolerant cultivars for enhanced productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. Here, we aimed to identify loci potentially involved in water use efficiency (WUE) and adaptation to drought in Persian walnut using a diverse panel of 95 walnut families (950 seedlings) from Iran, which show contrasting levels of water availability in their native habitats. We analyzed associations between phenotypic, genotypic, and environmental variables from data sets of 609 000 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), three categories of phenotypic traits [WUE-related traits under drought, their drought stress index, and principal components (PCs)], and 21 climate variables and their combination (first three PCs). Our genotype–phenotype analysis identified 22 significant and 266 suggestive associations, some of which were for multiple traits, suggesting their correlation and a possible common genetic control. Also, genotype–environment association analysis found 115 significant and 265 suggestive SNP loci that displayed potential signals of local adaptation. Several sets of stress-responsive genes were found in the genomic regions significantly associated with the aforementioned traits. Most of the candidate genes identified are involved in abscisic acid signaling, stomatal regulation, transduction of environmental signals, antioxidant defense system, osmotic adjustment, and leaf growth and development. Upon validation, the marker–trait associations identified for drought tolerance-related traits would allow the selection and development of new walnut rootstocks or scion cultivars with superior WUE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is well-known for its fatty acids and antioxidants. To investigate interaction effects of nitrogen and mycorrhiza under water deficit stress on agronomic and medicinal traits of the purslane, a factorial split experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted in a semi-arid region of Iran in 2015 and 2016. The main plots were factorial combination of two irrigation conditions (non-stressed control and stressed condition: irrigation at 70% and 50% of field capacity (FC), respectively) and two treatments, i.e. control and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF, Rhizophagus irregularis). The subplots consisted of unfertilized control, 100% farmyard manure (8.5 mg FYM ha−1, sheep manure (50%) and chicken manure (50%)), 100% N (120 kg urea ha−1), 75% FYM and 25% urea, 50% FYM and 50% urea, 25% FYM and 75% urea. In the first and second years, drought stress reduced AMF colonization (by 30.3% and 15.3%), phosphorus content (by 5.8% and 7.7%), nitrogen content (by 11.91% and 8.63%), total antioxidant capacity (by 16.7% and 14%), and biomass matter (by 21.1% and 17%) in purslane, respectively, while contributing to the production of malondialdehyde, total flavonoid, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. AMF treatment increased the biomass weight, total antioxidant activity, and unsaturated fatty acid content of leaf in purslane. Application of nitrogen fertilizers enhanced phosphorus and nitrogen uptakes, biomass weight, flavonoid content, total antioxidant capacity, and fatty acid contents of the leaf under both irrigation conditions, while lowering leaf malondialdehyde content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are potential natural alternatives to chemical fungicides in greenhouse production via inducing plant immune system against biotic stresses. In this research, 126 Streptomyces isolates were recovered from rhizosphere soils of 13 different commercial vegetable greenhouses in Iran. Streptomyces isolates were screened for in vitro Plant growth promoting (PGP) traits and ability to antagonize Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici race 3 (FOL), the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of tomato (FWT). Six isolates with the highest antagonistic activity and at least three PGP traits were selected and compared with chemical fungicide Carbendazim® in a greenhouse experiment. All bacterial treatments mitigated FWT disease symptoms like chlorosis, stunting and wilting at the same level or better than Carbendazim®. Strains IC10 and Y28 increased shoot length and shoot fresh and dry weight compared to not inoculated control plants. Phenotypic characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed, strains IC10 and Y28 were closely related to S. enissocaesilis and S. rochei , respectively. The ability of the superior biocontrol strains to induce antioxidant enzymes activity and systemic resistance (ISR) was investigated. Increased activity of catalase (CAT) in plant treated with both strains as well as an increase in peroxidase (POX) activity in plants treated with Y28 pointed to a strain specific-induced systemic resistance (ss-ISR) in tomato against FOL. The differential induced expression of WRKY70 and ERF1 (two transcription factors involved in plant defense) and LOX and TPX by the analyzed Streptomyces strains, especially after inoculation with FOL , suggests that ss-ISR is triggered at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Torilis arvensis Huds. produces two types of mericarps, spiny and hairy (referred to as seeds hereafter), but little information is available on their germination behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the different germination characteristics of hairy and spiny seeds in T. arvensis in response to environmental factors. Both seed types were dormant at harvesting, but the spiny type had a deeper dormancy level and required a more prolonged after‐ripping period. In general, T. arvensis seed germination and seedling emergence responses to examined factors were similar between the two seed types. The highest germination percentage was observed in pH 7. Germination was the highest at a temperature of 20°C. Light did not affect seed germination. T. arvensis was sensitive to osmotic stress induced by NaCl or PEG6000. No seedlings emerged when the seeds were buried at soil depth of 6 cm and deeper soil depths. The results indicate that T. arvensis has the potential to spread into more areas devoted to Apiaceae crops in Iran. Tillage would be beneficial to its effective control in these crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maize Iranian mosaic virus (MIMV, genus Nucleorhabdovirus, family Rhabdoviridae) causes an economically important disease in maize and other gramineous crops in Iran. MIMV negative-sense RNA genome sequence of 12,426 nucleotides has recently been completed. Maize Genetics and Genomics database shows that 39,498 coding genes and 4,976 non-coding genes of maize have been determined, but still some transcripts could not be annotated. The molecular host cell responses of maize to MIMV infection including differential gene expression have so far not been elucidated. Methodology/Principal findings: Complementary DNA libraries were prepared from total RNA of MIMV-infected and mock-inoculated maize leaves and sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2500. Cleaned raw transcript reads from MIMV-infected maize were mapped to reads from uninfected maize and to a maize reference genome. Differentially expressed transcripts were characterized by gene ontology and biochemical pathway analyses. Transcriptome data for selected genes were validated by real-time quantitative PCR. Conclusion/Significance: Approximately 42 million clean reads for each treatment were obtained. In MIMV-infected maize compared to uninfected plants, 1689 transcripts were up-regulated and 213 transcripts were down-regulated. In response to MIMV infection, several pathways were activated in maize including immune receptor signaling, metabolic pathways, RNA silencing, hormone-mediated pathways, protein degradation, protein kinase and ATP binding activity, and fatty acid metabolism. Also, several transcripts including those encoding hydrophobic protein RCI2B, adenosylmethionine decarboxylase NAC transcription factor and nucleic acid binding, leucine-rich repeat, heat shock protein, 26S proteasome, oxidoreductases and endonuclease activity protein were up-regulated. These data will contribute to the identification of genes and pathways involved in plant-virus interactions that may serve as future targets for improved disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drought is one of the major challenges in rice production in Iran where it is the second most important crop after wheat. Hence, there is an increasing need to develop rice genotypes with drought-tolerant background. Determining drought tolerance mechanisms would be the first priority in order to have a successful rice breeding program. In the present study, three popular rice ( Oryza sativa L.) cultivars including Neda, Amol3, and Sang-tarom having contrasting features against drought stress were tested in two water-deficit treatments at both vegetative and reproductive stages. Some important morphological and physiological characteristics related to the drought tolerance mechanism such as ABA content in leaves, size of stomatal apertures, and root length in vegetative phase as well as root volume and weight of panicles in reproductive phase were evaluated. Further, the expression profiles of four important transcription factors involved in drought tolerance regulatory networks, MYB3R-2, ZFP252, AP37, and AP59, were examined by means of quantitative RT-PCR. The data showed that the responses of Neda to drought stress conditions are closer to Amol3 than to Sang-tarom. In Neda, no reduction was observed in stomatal aperture size while the maximum dry and fresh weights of panicles found in Neda under mild drought stress conditions was a remarkable property among the cultivars in long-term drought stress. The genes expression profiles of AP37, AP59, MYB3R-2, and ZFP252 also showed lower levels of increase in Neda compared to Sang-tarom and Amol3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research heterocystous cyanobacteria were isolated from paddy soils and used as algal extracts in a pot culture of vegetable crops. The first aim of this research was to study the distribution of algal species isolated from different rice (Oryza sativaL.) cultivation regions of Iran. Soil samples were collected from seven main rice cultivation provinces situated in perhumid and semi-arid regions of the country. In total, 49 heterocystous morphospecies were isolated from 20 locations. Among these taxa,AnabaenaandNostocwere found to be the dominant genera at most stations. The effect of algal extract on vegetable crops was the second aim of this experiment. After isolation and identification of these taxa, monoalgal cultures of two isolates were carried out by growing the isolates in nitrate-free BG-11 medium. Pot experiments were carried out by spraying algal extract on soil of treated plants. Growth of plants was evaluated by measuring growth parameters such as plant height, root length, dry and fresh weight of plant as well as leaf number after 40 days since planting. Statistical analysis showed that there are significant differences in studied parameters as compared to the control. In complementary studies nitrogenase activity of these taxa was determined by the acetylene reduction technique and identification of phytohormones was performed with the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. As result of this study, chemical content of algae extracts and production of plant growth-stimulating substances such as phytohormones can be proposed as factors affecting plant growth parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background and Aims Chalcone synthase ( CHS) catalyses the first committed step of the flavonoid pathway that leads to the synthesis of anthocyanins, tannins and flavonols. In the grapevine, CHS is encoded by three similar genes ( VvCHS1,2,3). Their expression patterns and regulation by MYB transcription factors were determined to identify the role of these three genes in the biosynthesis of different flavonoid compounds. Methods and Results Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the transcript level of VvCHS1 and VvCHS2 correlated with both flavonol and tannin accumulation in Shiraz vegetative and berry tissues, and in cell cultures. The transcript level of all three VvCHS genes correlated with an increase of anthocyanins in berry skins indicating their role in anthocyanin synthesis. MYB transcription factors regulating tannin and flavonol synthesis activated the VvCHS1 and VvCHS2 promoters, while all of the grapevine flavonoid MYB genes tested activated the VvCHS3 promoter to different degrees. Analysis of the VvCHS promoter sequences indicated key differences in the identifiable binding motifs. Conclusions Distinct accumulation patterns of the three VvCHS transcripts in response to environmental and developmental cues are achieved through regulation by pathway-specific MYB factors. Significance of the Study The three grapevine genes encoding CHS are temporally and spatially regulated by MYB transcription factors to produce different flavonoid compounds in a range of tissues, and these contribute to grape and wine composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two field experiments were carried out during 2018–2019 at the Hamedan and Qom sites, which are different ecological locations of Iran. Hamedan was selected as a temperate climate and Qom as semi-arid to study some of the morphological and physiological traits of fodder beet in various climatic conditions. The experimental map was designed as a split–split-plot in the form of a randomized complete block with three replications. The main plots were assigned three levels of methanol (i.e., control, 15, and 30% by volume). The sub-plots were restricted to two glycine betaine (GB) concentrations (i.e., control and four grams per liter of methanol consumed, and the sub-sub-plots consisted of six different genotypes of fodder beet). The results showed that root length, root and foliage yield/ha, as well as sugar content increased with the incremental level of methanol and/or GB concentration. Foliar application of methanol and GB also significantly changed the qualitative parameters including sodium content, catalase value, crude protein percentage, and dry matter digestibility. It should be noted that two sites differed in most of the investigated traits, so that Hamedan treatment had a more active role on fodder beet growth, yield, and quality compared with Qom. Meanwhile, there was a significant difference between fodder beet genotypes. Generally, spraying fodder beet with 15%by volume methanol or GB with concentration of four grams per liter of methanol is the recommended treatment for raising forage yield under the ecological circumstances of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]