https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/ Horticultural Plants Nutrition en daily 1 Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0330 Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0330 https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4053.html Introduction: Sweet violet (Viola odorata) is a perennial herbaceous plant with ornamental and medicinal properties. Water scarcity is one of the most effective environmental limiting factors for plants. The use of anti-stress compounds, such as a variety of secondary metabolites, is some way to reduce the harmful effects of water-deficit. Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant growth regulator from the phenol group and is effective as a signal molecule in regulating many physiological processes (Idress et al., 2013; Harrison et al., 2014). Sodium nitroprusside is involved in the action of plant growth regulators and is involved in the transmission of messages and responses to biological and non-biological stresses (Fan et al., 2012). Zinc oxide nanoparticles are among the nanoparticles used in agricultural research that have a very high specific surface area (Idress et al., 2013). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of different levels of water-deficit stress and foliar application of anti-stress compounds (SA, sodium nitroprusside and nano zinc oxide) on some pigments and the fluorescence of sweet violet.Material and methods: A factorial experiment in completely randomized design was performed with two factors; water-deficit stress at three levels (55, 65 and 85% of field capacity (FC) and foliar spraying including SA (200 and 300 mg/l), zinc nano-oxide (1000 and 1500 mg/l) and sodium nitroprusside (200 and 300 μM) in three replications. In two weeks after establishing the plantlets in the cultivation bed, two weeks apart, foliar applications were made and distilled water was applied as control treatment. The application of water-deficit stress started one week after the second stage of foliar application based on substrate FC by weighting method and continued until the end of the experiment, which coincided with the yellowing of the leaves. Leaf and petal pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured. Data analysis was performed using SAS9.2 statistical software and graphs were drawn using Excel software. LSD test at 5% probability level was used to compare the mean of the data.Results and discussion: he results showed that the highest chlorophyll a (9.72 mg/g F.W.) and b (4.15 mg/g F.W.) concentrations were related to the treatment of 1000 mg/l Nano-zinc oxide and 200 μM sodium nitroprusside both at water-deficit stress of 55% of field capacity, respectively. The highest leaf carotenoid concentrations in leaf (14 μg/g F.W.) and petal (8.36 μg/g F.W.) were obtained at levels of 200 μM sodium nitroprusside and 300 mg/l SA, respectively, under water-deficit stress of 55% FC. The highest maximum (5.31) and variable (4.27) fluorescence was related to the treatment of 1000 mg/l zinc nano-oxide at water-deficit stress of 85% FC. The highest photofoliar spraying efficiency of photosystem II (4.4) and quantum yield of photosystem 2 (0.81) were obtained at water-deficit stress of 85% of field capacity together with 300 mg/l salicylic acid treatment. The highest effective photofoliar spraying quantum efficiency of the photosystem 2 (0.56) was related to water-deficit stress treatment of 65% FC and 300 μM sodium nitroprusside treatment. The effect of treatment with these substances on the change of biofoliar spraying and physiological processes, especially during the response to various biological and non-biological stresses such as drought in plants (Ricinus communis and sunflower hybrids) was shown (Balabanova et al., 2016; Esparham et al., 2017).Conclusions: With increasing water-deficit, the concentration of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments in leaves and petals increased. Zinc nanoparticles increased the maximum and variable fluorescence and salicylic acid also increased the fluorescence ratio, non-photofoliar spraying quicent and regulated and unregulated quantum efficiency of photosystem II. Sodium nitroprusside showed a positive effect on changing the minimum fluorescence and the effective quantum efficiency of photosystem II. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4114.html Introduction: Every year, a large part of the petals of saffron flowers in Iran are unused. The dehydration of these petals can be used as a stimulant for germination and complement plant growth. In fact, the extract and essential oil of saffron flower petals contain certain amounts of Safranal, which has a chemical structure similar to beta-cycloidal (Corradi and Michelli, 1979). B-cycloidal is a valuable compound for improving product strength, especially in harsh environmental conditions (Dickinson et al., 2019). In this study, we evaluate the effects of the extract and essential oil of saffron flower petals on germination and early-stage growth of Festuca arundinacea Scherb under salt stress.Material and methods: In the first experiment, pretreatment of salicylic acid on germination was evaluated in three levels (0, 0.1, and 0.5 mM). Saffron petal water, saffron flower essential oil, and saffron stigma aqueous extract (50 μL / mL) on Tall fescue seeds treated with three concentrations of sodium chloride (0, 3000, and 6000 mg /L) were conducted in a factorial test in a completely randomized design with three replications.In the second experiment after Tall fescue seedlings establishment, irrigation was carried out regularly and fertilizer (20-20-20) with a concentration of 3% was used as a solution in the irrigation water. After 28 days and first mowing the salinity treatments (0, 3000, and 6000 mg/L) were started and continued for 4 weeks. Saffron petal juice treatments with three concentrations (control, 250, and 500 μL /100 mL) and saffron stigma essential oil (control, 40 and 125 μL /100 mL) interaction with Sodium chloride treatments (non-salt stress, 3000 and 6000 mg /L) were evaluatedResults and discussion: Salicylic acid (0.1 mM) improved germination percentage by 17.2% under salinity stress of 3000 mg /L. Stem length (67%) and root weight (60%) increased with a concentration of 50 μL /mL saffron petal juice under salinity stress compared to the control. The most suitable level of salicylic acid for improving the germination index under sodium chloride stress was pretreatment with a concentration of 0.1 mM. The interaction of 6000 mg/L salinity with saffron petal juice (SEES11) caused a significant (42%) increase in seedling length compared to the control (Figure 7). Beta-cyclocitral (safranal) in the roots of rice plants under salinity stress significantly stimulates root and stem growth and can be used in a valuable way to improve product yield, especially in harsh environmental conditions (Dickinson et al., 2019). Increasing the concentration of sodium chloride increased the amount of hydrogen peroxide and the activity of peroxidase and catalase enzymes. The use of saffron stigma essential oil treatment with a concentration of 40 μL/100 mL caused a significant decrease in the amount of hydrogen peroxide and a significant increase in the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes. Sodium chloride treatment increased the amount of hydrogen peroxide, catalase and peroxidase activities.Conclusions: Petal water and the essential oil of saffron consumption significantly increased the amount of hydrogen peroxide and the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes. Using a longer time or higher concentrations of stigma essential oil and saffron petal juice may increase antioxidant enzyme activities, which helps establish the plant. Finally, it can improve the response of the plant to environmental stresses, especially sodium chloride stress. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4260.html Introduction: The use of bio-fertilizers along with the rational use of chemical fertilizers can be a good solution to reduce environmental pollution. Bio-fertilizers include microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, cyanobacteria, etc., which improve the structure and quality of the soil and strengthen the soil in terms of nutrients. Mycorrhizal arbuscular fungi are present in many soils and coexist with the roots of most plant species (Wang et al. 2021). Due to the high importance of fenugreek in food and pharmaceutical industries and the need to reduce environmental pollution caused by the improper use of chemical fertilizers, in this study the effect of inoculation of ten species of mycorrhiza fungi of different genera on growth and some biochemical characteristics of fenugreek were investigated.Material and methods: A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the inoculation effect of different species of mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and nutrient elements of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graceum) based on a completely randomized design with three replications in the research greenhouse of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during 2020-2021. The treatments were included 10 species of mycorrhizal fungi Glomus mosseae, Glomus etunicatum, Glomus claroideum, Glomus caledonium, Glomus interaradices, Glomus fasiculatum, Acaulospora langula, Scutellospora castanea, Glomus versiforme, Gigaspora margarit and non-inoculation (control). The studied traits were morphological traits (plant height, number of branches, number of nodes, internode length, leaf length and width, fresh and dry weight of plant aerial parts, root length, fresh and dry weight of roots) and the content of macro and micro elements (N, P, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, B, Cu, Zn).Results and discussion: The results of analysis variance showed that the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on growth and the content of nutrient elements was significant at the level of 1% probability. Mycorrhiza inoculation significantly increased the height of fenugreek plants. The lowest plant height was observed in the un-treated plants and the highest plant height was related to plants inoculated with R. castanea. The highest leaf length and width was recorded in plants inoculated with R. intraradicese, which were 7.06 and 31.63% higher than the control, respectively. The results showed that the highest fresh weight of plant aerial part was obtained in the inoculated plants with R. castanea, which was 111.66% (more than twice) higher than the un-inoculated plants. However, F. mosseae caused a decrease (30.88%) of fresh weight compared to the control treatment. The highest plant dry weight belonged to plants inoculated with R. castanea, A. langula and D. versiformis which were 133.58% higher than the un- inoculated plants. The lowest plant dry weight was obtained in the control treatment which was not significantly differed from the treatment of C. etunicatum. Comparison of the mean data showed that inoculation with mycorrhiza fungi effectively increased the root growth of fenugreek. Although inoculation of fenugreek with mycorrhiza fungi had a significant effect on improving the nutrient uptake, but the plant response varied depending on the studied fungus species and in some species reduction in nutrient contents was recorded. Literature survey showed that the inoculation with appropriate species of mycorrhizal fungi can effectively increase the growth and biomass of fenugreek by improving the plant physiological traits and absorption of nutrient elements (Latef and Chaoxing, 2011; Baghbani arani et al., 2017).Conclusions: According to the obtained results, the response of fenugreek to inoculation was depended on the mycorrhizal fungi species therefore determining suitable species of fungi is necessary to improve the growth and yield of this plant. Generally, inoculation of fenugreek with C. claroideum, R. castanea and R. intraradices can be suggested as a suitable alternative to chemical fertilizers to increase the yield of fenugreek under greenhouse and field condition. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4455.html Introduction: Although beneficial effects of silicon for plants were well documented (Liang et al., 2015), leaf uptake efficiency of this element in most of plants including tomato remains to be explored. So, this experiment aimed to evaluate penetration of silicon into the tomato leaf mesophyll.Material and methods: This pot experiment was conducted hydroponically in a completely randomized design with 7 treatments, 3 replications and 2 samples in research greenhouse of Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran. Treatments comprised potassium silicate (K2SiO3), sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), and orthosilicic acid (H4O4Si), each of them in two concentrations of 1 and 2 mM, along with a control. All treatments were applied weekly as foliar spray. Evaluated parameters included yield, photosynthetic pigments (Carter and Knapp, 2001), leaf silicon concentration (Elliott and Snyder, 1991), and silicon distribution among mesophyll profiles. The later parameter was determined in three different points of the transverse section of the leaf (near adaxial, middle of mesophyll, near abaxial) using Energy Dispersive X- ray Spectroscopy (EDX).Results and discussion: All of the silicon treatments resulted in an increase in leaf silicon concentration compared to the control. However, the application of potassium silicate at 2 mM led to the highest silicon concentration, which was not significantly different from potassium silicate at 1mM. Evaluation of the middle of mesophyll elemental profile showed that only two treatments, orthosilicic acid at 1 mM and sodium silicate at 2 mM, resulted in a higher silicon ratio than the control in the whole mesophyll and near abaxial point. The other treatments showed no significant differences from the control. The Silicon ratio at the near adaxial point was significantly higher under potassium silicate treatment compared to the control. The highest yield was recorded under orthosilicic acid at 2 mM, which was not significantly different from sodium silicate at 1 mM concentration.Conclusions: Overall, the results of this research confirmed that silicon can infiltrate tomato leaves, indicating that silicon fertilizers can be safely applied via foliar spray. Furthermore, an important finding from this experiment was that there is no correlation between leaf silicon concentration and tomato yield in normal conditions.  https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4456.html Introduction: Chicory is one of the perennial and important medicinal plants of the Asteraceae family. In addition to having many nutritious compounds, chicory is potentially a rich source of bioactive substances for strengthening human food due to its polyphenol compounds (Petropoulos et al., 2017). Nitrogen is one of the most important elements required by plants, which participates in various processes, and its deficiency or excess significantly affects the growth, yield and quality of products (Yaghoobi et al., 2018). Due to the high importance of nutrition in the performance and quality of the active substances of medicinal plants and the fact that so far a little research has been done in chicory plant; Also, since ammonium sulfate is an acid-forming fertilizer suitable for the alkaline soils of southern Iran and causes better absorption of other nutrients; therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of the effect of different levels of ammonium sulfate on the growth indexes and some biochemical factors of two species of chicory (Cichorium intybus and Cichorium pumilum) in Jahrom climatic conditions.Material and methods: In this research, the effect of different amount of ammonium sulfate on growth and yield traits, chlorophyll contents and some biochemical properties of two Cichorium species were studied. In this purpose, the experience was conducted on factorial based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two factors and three replications. The first factor, ammonium sulfate concentration includes 5 levels: 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg/h and control (soil without fertilizer) and the second factor, two Cichorium species including C. intybus and C. pumilum. The most important factors inclusive leaf number, leaf length and width, plant fresh weight, yield of dry matter, length and diameter of tuberous root, fresh weight and dry weight of root and chlorophyll contents (a, b, total and carotenoid). Also, biochemical properties of leaf extract (flavone and flavonol, total flavonoid, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity) were measured at two times (middle and end of growth period).Results and discussion: The results showed the significant effect of the treatments on some measured traits. In relation to most of the morphological factors and yield indicators in C. pumilum, the best result was obtained in the 150 kg of ammonium sulfate treatment, while in C. intybus, the application of 100 kg of ammonium sulfate had a greater effect, which showed that C. pumilum has more fertilizer tolerance properties than C. intybus species. In C. pumilum, the highest amount of flavone and flavonol (2.93 mg/g), total flavonoid (7.30 mg/g) and phenolic compounds (10.06 mg/g) in the 50 kg of ammonium sulfate treatment was observed in the second harvest while in relation to C. intybus species, the maximum amount of total flavonoids (12.14 mg/g) and phenolic compounds (13.67 mg/g) in the first harvest by usage of 100 kg of ammonium sulfate and in the second harvest in the 200 kg of ammonium sulfate treatment (7.14 and 10.26 mg/g respectively) were measured. Previous findings showed that in some plants, including Ocimum basilicum (Radusiene et al., 2019) and Stevia rebaudiana (Barroso et al., 2018), the high availability of nutrient elements leads to an increase in plant growth and development and a decrease in secondary metabolites production. While in some other plants such as Marrubium vulgare (Kheiry et al., 2020), Cicorium sp. and Artemisia annua (Jha et al., 2011) by increasing the amount of fertilizer, an increase in active substances has been observed.Conclusions: In totally, application of 100-150 kg/h Amuniom sulphate fertilizer for Chicory species recommends. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4457.html Introduction: Pomegranate (Punica granatum) belongs to the Lytraceae family and is one of the most important fruit trees in Iran. Although pomegranate is considered as a low expectation fruit species and is relatively tolerant to various unfavorable conditions such as hot and dry climate, salty soil, and water deficit, however, commercial production of this fruit crop is faced with various challenges including different physiological disorders and biotic/abiotic stresses that can negatively affect pomegranate fruit yield, quality, and commercial acceptance. Fruit skin sunburn and fruit cracking are among the main physiological disorders that cause serious economic losses to the pomegranate growers all around the world and may account for losses of up to 40-50 % of the total fruit production in different pomegranate production areas.Material and methods: To reduce physiological diosorder of fruit cracking in pomegranate cultivar cv. Malase-Saveh, gibberellic acid, potassium sulfate and copper sulfate treatments were utilized as a factorial design in the frame of randomized complete block design with three replications. Gibberellic acid (0 and 100 ppm), potassium sulfate (0 and 5000 ppm) and copper sulfate (0 and 2500 ppm) were sprayed in three stages of fruit development in the late spring and mid-summer. The fruit samples were harvested randomly from different sides of the pomegranate trees at the ripening stage of fruit and some characteristics of fruit were measured.Results and discussion: Results of analysis of variance has illustrated that most of the evaluated parameters were significantly affected by foliar treatments. The number of fruit cracking was counted for each tree and results showed that fruit cracking was influenced by the application of gibberellic acid, potassium sulfate and copper sulfate, as the percentage of fruit cracking was reduced significantly with application of these compounds. The fruit weight, peel thickness, moisture percentage of peal, TSS and titratable acidity was significantly increased by 100 ppm GA3 compared to the control sample. The highest fruit weight (181.7 gr) was obtained in 100 mg gibberellic acid treatment, while this parameter was 160.75 gr in the control plant. The lowest level of fruit cracking was related to gibberellic acid treatments with levels of 100 mg/l with mean values of 14.10%. The highest amount of fruit cracking was observed in control plant (23.38%). Finally, fruit cracking percentage was reduced by the rise of peel thickness, moisture percentage of peel, and titratable acidity in fruit.Conclusions: In this study, the effects of gibberellic acid, copper sulfate and potassium sulfate were investigated on the fruit cracking of pomegranate fruit. The overall results showed that the application of gibberellic acid and copper sulfate significantly affected some of the attributes of pomegranate fruit and finally led to the reduced fruit cracking in ‘Malase-Saveh’ cultivar. The results obtained from this research indicate that the fruit cracking of pomegranate is related to many physicochemical characteristics of the fruit and tree. The results of this investigation can enhance our knowledge about the major contributing factors on pomegranate fruit cracking, and will be benefcial for making sound horticultural practices to reduce the detrimental effects of pomegranate physiological diorders. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4459.html Introduction: Tuberose (Pollianthes tuberosa L.) is one of the essential cut flowers in the country. Which has good economic potential for the cut flower business and essential oil industry. which has good economic potential for cut flower business and essential oil industry. Therefore, improving Tuberose's quantitative and qualitative characteristics, especially the life after its harvest, is vital. Calcium and boron elements play a role in photosynthesis and nutrient absorption that affect plants' growth. They are essential in improving their quantitative and qualitative characteristics, including life after harvest. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of calcium on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Tuberosa flowers.Material and methods: This experiment was conducted in a factorial form in the form of a complete randomized block design in the National Research Institute of Flowers and Ornamental Plants of Iran located in Mahalat city with a geographical location of 50 degrees 30 minutes east, latitude 33 degrees 53 minutes north in 2017-2018. Factors include calcium foliar application at four levels (0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 grams per liter of calcium from calcium nitrate source) and boron at three levels (0, 20, and 40 kg of boric acid per hectare ). Plant height, stem diameter, floret diameter, length, postharvest life, calcium, nitrogen, potassium, and boron concentrations were investigated. The data obtained were analyzed using SAS statistical software version 9.4, and the comparison of means was performed using the LSD test at the 5% level.Results and discussion: The results showed that calcium and boron application significantly affected plant height, cluster length, concentration of nutrients, and postharvest life and increased all investigated traits compared to the control. According to the maximum plant height results, the cluster length was 69.96 cm, 26.63 cm, and 1.08 cm from the foliar treatment of 0.6 grams per liter of calcium and 20 kg/ha boron. The combined treatment of foliar spraying of 0.6 g/L of calcium 20 kg/ha boron increased the postharvest life of Tuberose by 41% compared to the control. Also, the highest amounts of nitrogen and calcium were obtained from the 0.6 g/L calcium foliar treatment, 2.83% and 1.62 mg.kg-1, respectively.Conclusions: According to the results obtained from the test data (consumption of 3 grams per liter of calcium from the source of calcium nitrate in the form of foliar spraying and 20 kg of boric acid per hectare) has improved the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Tuberose and this treatment can be used. He advised the producers of the recommended amount in the production fields of Tuberose. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4460.html Introduction: Deficit low irrigation is of particular importance as a valuable strategy for areas where water is the limiting factor in crop cultivation. The ability to estimate in determining the water requirement, the amount of water consumed and Irrigation scheduling one of the most effective factors in the irrigated cultivation of agricultural products. Therefore, this research was conducted in order to investigate the NIAZAB system in determining the actual amount of irrigation water and eggplant yield based on the inverse solution of the production function under water stress conditions in Guilan province.Material and methods: In this research, irrigation management included no irrigation and providing 60, 80, and 100% of the plant's water needs as the main factor and secondary factors nitrogen fertilizer amounts (from the urea fertilizer source) included two levels of zero and 120 kg/ha. The experiment was carried out in the form of split plots in the form of a randomized complete block design in three replications in the years 2020 - 2022. In terms of climate, the region was one of the temperate and humid regions. The Soil and Water Research Institute of the country presented a system called "NIAZAB System" which is used to determine the water requirement of agricultural crops. This system has the ability to estimate and determine water Requirements, water consumption and plant irrigation planning at the level of the region, city, watershed and plain. One of the important points of this system is its location-based nature, and the user can extract the needs of the desired area by referring to the system and estimate the water consumption for the cultivation pattern under different options.Results and discussion: The results showed that the highest amounts of evapotranspiration in the studied years occurred in the irrigation conditions of 100% of the water requirement and the consumption of 120 kg N fertilizer. In the measured conditions and the methods of Tafteh, Pasquale and Reas, the amount of evapotranspiration in 2020 were 341, 332, 333 and 333 mm respectively and in 2021 it were 358, 346, 359 and 346 mm respectively and in 2022 were 620, 576, 615 and 577 mm respectively. The average relative error in the mentioned methods in the first year were 2.6%, 2.3% and 2.3% respectively and in the second year were 3.4%, -0.3% and 3.4% respectively,  and in the third year, were 7.1%, 0.8% and 6.9% respectively. The root mean square error (RMSE) for evapospiration in Tafteh, Pasquale and Reas methods were 18.6, 79.3 and 18.3 mm/day, respectively, and the root mean square normal error (RMSEn) was 0.059, 0.251 and 0.058% respectively. The Index of agreement (d) in the Tafteh, Pasquale and Reas methods were 0.976, 0.595 and 0.977%, respectively. The coefficients of efficiency (EF) of the models were 0.915, -0.536 and 0.918 percent respectively, and the coefficients of determination (R2) were 0.92, 0.35 and 0.92% respectively.Conclusions: In general, the statistical results between field data and NIAZAB System showed that Tafteh and Reas methods are a suitable method for making decisions and estimating the water consumption of eggplant plants in the study area. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4617.html Introduction: Cannabis sativa L. is an annual dioecious plant from Central Asia. It has been used since ancient times as a medicinal plant, but also it is the source of hemp fibers and vegetable oil used as food. Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes, for treating pain, spasms, asthma, insomnia, depression, and loss of appetite, in many cultures for hundreds of years. Antioxidants are the most important chemical compounds found in the C. sativa species. Cannabis contains a diverse group of active compounds, including cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, which exhibit multidirectional biological activity and can influence each other’s pharmacological profile. Hemp leaves, often considered waste in the industry, have been found to contain high levels of active compounds, making them a valuable resource for extraction. Utilizing hemp leaves can contribute to a zero-waste approach and sustainable development of the industry. Considering the climatic diversity of Iran, as well as the importance of the medicinal plant cannabis and also the use of nanoparticles in agriculture, the present study was conducted with the aim of the effect of these abiotic elicitors on the antioxidant system of cannabis.Material and methods: To evaluate the effect of nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) (250 and 500 mg/l), zinc dioxide (ZnO2) (125 and 250 mg/l), cerium dioxide (CeO2) (125 and 250 mg/l) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) (50 and 100 μM) on the antioxidant activity of hemp plant, a factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications. The elicitors solution was applied as irrigation and the sampling of plant leaves was done 24, 48 and 72 hours after the elicitor treatment, respectively. After preparing the enzyme extracts from the leaf tissue of treated cannabis plants, the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and guaiacol peroxidase was measured using a spectrophotometer..Results and discussion: The analysis of variance results indicated the significance (p≤0.01) of the effect of different elicitors and sampling times on all antioxidant activities. Also, all the two-way elicitor × time interaction effects were significant (p≤ 0.01) on all studied traits. In means comparison of the two-way interaction effect, it was found that the 125 mg/l of CeO2 and 250 mg/l of ZnO2 in the sample taken 48 hours after the treatment had the highest amount of protein. Also, 250 mg/l TiO2 in 48 hours sampling after the treatment showed the highest amount of catalase, 125 mg/l ZnO2 in the 72 and 48 hours sampling after the treatment showed the highest amount of ascorbate peroxidase, the 250 mg/l CeO2 in 48 hours sampling after the treatment showed the highest amount of glutathione reductase, the 125 mg/l CeO2 in 48 hours sampling and 250 mg/l ZnO2 in 72 hours sampling showed the highest levels of guaiacol peroxidase, and 50 μM methyl jasmonate in the sample taken 48 hours after the treatment had the highest amount of superoxide dismutase in the leaves of the hemp plant.Conclusions: In this research, the highest amount of protein was observed with cerium and zinc nanoparticles at 48 hours sampling time after treatment. Also, the highest amount of catalase with titanium nanoparticles at 48 hours, the highest amount of ascorbate peroxidase with zinc nanoparticles at 72 and 48 hours, the highest amount of glutathione reductase and Guaiacol peroxidase with cerium nanoparticles in 48 hours and the highest amount of superoxide dismutase with methyl jasmonate in 48 hours sampling time after treatment were observed in hemp leaves. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4618.html Introduction: Soil salinity and alkalinity are some of the biggest factors limiting the production of agricultural products worldwide. Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) is the most commonly cultivated fruit tree in Iran due to its relatively high salt tolerance, low water requirements, and high economic value (Sherafati et al., 2022). Several factors have caused a decrease in the yield of pistachio orchards in the country, including the selection of incompatible cultivars, soil and water salinity, climatic stress, and imbalanced nutrition (Sherafati et al., 2016). Recent studies indicate that microorganisms can make plants more resistant to salinity and alkalinity stress (Khavazi et al., 2013).Material and methods: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of haloalkaliphile bacterial strains native to the Razavi Khorasan region (which had the highest ability to produce plant growth promoting, including production of ammonia, tri-indole acetic acid, and ACC deaminase) on the vegetative growth of pistachio seedlings and some nutrients concentration (phosphorous, potassium, calcium, sodium, chlorine, zinc and boron) in the factorial split-plot arrangement based on a randomized complete design (RCD) and under garden conditions in 2021-2022. Three levels of saline irrigation (8, 12 and 16 ds m-1), two pistachio cultivars, Daneshmandi and Akbari, and the use of two superior and selected strains of native haloalkaliphilic bacteria, Virgibacillus marismortui, and Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus at four levels (each one alone, mixing both strains and control) were studied in three replicates consisting of two seedlings in each replicate. The studied traits in the project included stem length and diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, and chlorophyll index in the seedlings, and phosphorous, potassium, calcium, sodium, chlorine, zinc, and boron concentrations which were recorded and analyzed.Results and discussion: The results of the analysis of variance showed that almost all traits were significant at the 0.01 level under the influence of salinity, variety, and bacterial strain. The effect of cultivar type on measured vegetative traits and bacteria type on element concentration was more significant than the effect of other experimental factors. Akbari cultivar showed superiority in all traits and calcium concentrations except for the chlorophyll index. The trend of chlorophyll index was inverse of the leaf area; and increased with increasing salinity. Virgibacillus marismortui bacteria strain increased vegetative traits including stem length and diameter and leaf area, calcium concentration by 6, 5, 0.17, and 0.2 %, respectively, compared to the control. However, the application of Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus bacteria treatment decreased the concentration of sodium and chlorine ions by 18.5% and 12.8%, respectively, compared to the control.The application of the mixed stains treatment of Virgibacillus marismortui, and Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus caused an increase in the chlorophyll index (0.6%), the least decrease in the number of fallen leaves (5.7%) and microelements increasing concentration of zinc (2.1%) and boron (1.5%) compared to the control. The highest concentration of calcium and the lowest concentration of sodium were obtained under the influence of Virgibacillus marismortui bacteria, and the lowest concentration of chlorine and the highest concentration of phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and boron were obtained under the influence of inoculation with Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus bacteria.Conclusions: In general, Virgibacillus marismortui strain in salinities of 12 to 16 dS m-1 in the Akbari cultivar is known as the best treatment for increasing the growth characteristics of pistachio seedlings. However, the highest chlorophyll index, and concentration of phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and boron elements were obtained under the influence of Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus strain at the highest salinity level (16 dS m-1) for the Akbari cultivar.  In general, the use of extremophilic bacteria in high salinities is recommended, and due to the different chemistry of the investigated elements and the different growth characteristics of these two bacteria, the use of Virgibacillus marismortui bacteria in sodium salt conditions is recommended. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4657.html Introduction: Apple (Malus damestica) from the Rosaceae family, is the fourth most important fruit in the world and the most important fruit in temperate regions after citrus fruits, grapes and bananas (Janik et al., 2019). In high soil pH conditions, most micronutrient elements such as iron and zinc are deficient in apple trees. Foliar feeding is an effective way to compensate for the lack of micronutrients and increase their levels. Today, the widespread use of chemical fertilizers has caused an increase in concern about human health, which can be reduced to some extent by replacing organic fertilizers. improving the yield and quality of various fruit trees (Crespan et al, 2020). The purpose of this research is to spray fertilizers containing iron, zinc and humic acid to achieve a suitable fertilizer combination to increase the yield and fruit quality of ‘Golden Delicious’ apple in response to the treatment of different concentrations of iron chelate, zinc sulfate and humic acid.Material and methods: In order to study the effect of three different concentrations of iron chelate, zinc sulfate and humic acid on some quantitative and qualitative traits of 13-year-old ‘Golden Delicious’ apple trees grafted on seedling rootstock, an experiment was carried out in the form of a completely randomized design with 9 treatment and three repetitions were performed. The treatments included foliar spraying with iron chelate, zinc sulfate and humic acid each at three levels (zero, 1000 and 2000 mg/L). Foliar spraying consisted of one stage before and four stages after flowering, the round of foliar spraying was done every two weeks. The first foliar spraying stage is on May 10 before flowering, the second foliar spraying stage is on May 25 after flowering and fruit formation, the third foliar spraying stage is on June 10 when the fruits are set, the fourth foliar spraying stage is on June 25 when the fruits were the size of walnuts, and finally, the fifth stage of foliar spraying was done on July 10, 2014, when the fruits were green and unripe. After the foliar application was completed, 21 healthy trees were selected for the experiment. The measured factors include length and diameter of the fruit, fruit density, dry weight of the fruit, total weight of the fruit, and measurement of the branch length of the current year, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, some nutritional elements in leaf and fruit. Data were analyzed using SAS statistical software version 1.9, and the comparison of averages was done using Duncan's multi-range test, and graphs were drawn using Excel version (2019) software.Results and discussion: The effect of nutritional treatments on some quantitative and qualitative traits: The results indicated the significance effect of nutritional treatments observed on some quantitative traits such as fruit length (Table 1. Figure 1), the length of the branch of the current year (Table 1. Figure 3), fruit yield (Table 2, Figure 4), the density of fruits (Table 2. Figure 5). Also, the results indicated the significant effect of nutritional treatments on dry weight of fruits (Table 2, Figure 6), amount of iron element in leaf and fruit (Table 5, Figure 10; Table 6, Figure 13), the zinc element in the fruit is at the (Table 6. Figure 14). But these results, according to the results obtained, showed the opposite result, that is, it showed that the effect of nutritional treatments was not significant on some traits such as soluble total acidity (Table 4. Figure 8) and amount of potassium of fruit (Table 6. Figure 12).Conclusions: The results obtained from this experiment, among the three fertilizer treatments used, the iron chelate fertilizer treatment with a concentration of 2000 mg/l had the greatest effect on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the leaves and fruits of the ‘Golden Delicious’ apple cultivar. This level of fertilizer treatment (2000 mg/L of iron) increased fruit yield, dry weight of fruit, iron element concentration in leaves and fruit. In general, the results of this research showed that in calcareous soils, iron and zinc foliar application can lead to the improvement of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the ‘Golden Delicious’ apple cultivar. Therefore, this level of fertilizer treatment is recommended to increase quantity and quality in apple orchards. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4890.html Introduction: In recent years, organic fertilizers application has increased to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. The fertilizer management is one of the greatest challenges of agriculture in the 21st century. Biochar and vermicompost are the most important types of organic fertilizers (Wu et al., 2005). Biochar is a by-product of the biodegradable pyrolysis process and is considered to be a stable chemical and biological carbon reservoir in the soil (Schmidt and Noack, 2000). Vermicompost is a fertilizer obtained from the excretion of earthworms. A special type of worm called Eisenia foetida, also known as composting worm, is used to make vermicompost (Krishnamoorthy and Vajranabhaiah, 1986). Yanga et al. (2015) compared the effect of organic and chemical fertilizers on tomato yield and showed that vermicompost increased the activity of phosphatase and urease enzymes by increasing the activity of nutrients and subsequently improved tomato fruit yield. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two levels of biochar and vermicompost on the characteristics of tomato plants in saline conditions.Material and methods: This research was conducted in a research greenhouse located in Gilan province, Langrud city. The present study is factorial in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications. Factors studied include two levels of biochar and two levels of vermicompost in both saline and non-saline conditions on cherry tomatoes. Performance parameters, number of fruits, fruit weight and plant height, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron and sugar were measured in the plant. Soil characteristics including soil texture, acidity, electrical conductivity, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and iron, etc. were measured. Data were analyzed statistically using SAS program (SAS Institute Inc.1999) and Duncan's Multiple Range test at 0.05 significance level as outlined by Little and Hills (1978).Results and discussion: The results of comparing the average effect of organic fertilizers in saline and non-saline conditions on the yield of tomato plants are shown in Figure 1. The highest yield and iron in the treatment of the second level of vermicompost in non-saline conditions was 1247 g / pot and 0.006%, respectively. These results also show that salinity reduced the yield by 68%.  Many researchers say that increasing the yield of agricultural products due to the addition of biochar-biomass is a function of the quality and quantity of biochar (Deenik et al., 2010; Major et al., 2010).Figure 2 shows the results of comparing the average effect of biochar and vermicompost treatments on salinity on fruit phosphorus levels. As can be seen, the highest amount of fruit phosphorus was obtained in the treatment of the second level of vermicompost without salinity equal to 0.29%. The lowest amount of phosphorus was obtained in the treatment of 0.21%. According to Renato et al. (2003), increased composting into the soil increases soil phosphorus. Reinecke et al. (1992) also noted that vermicompost makes phosphorus available to plantsConclusions: Our results show that the second level of vermicompost had the best improvement in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of tomatoes. Generally, according to the obtained results, the use of biochar and vermicompost from the remnants of the tea plant and municipal waste can be recommended as a suitable source to provide the nutrients needed by tomatoes. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4891.html Introduction: Camelina is a known oil plant from the family Brassicaceae Burnett. In recent years, interest in the cultivation of this species has increased. This is due to the high tolerance of camelina to unfavorable environmental conditions and the possibility of versatile crop utilization. Special feature of this plant is its easy adaptation to various soil and climatic conditions. The aim of the research was to determine the reaction of the camelina to different foliar fertilization with macroelements. The research hypothesis assumed that the applied fertilizer combinations would have a modifying effect on the size and quality of seed yield and would be economically justified.Material and methods: To investigate the effect of different amounts of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers on the yield and quality of Camelina plant oil, an experiment was carried out in the agricultural year 2022 in Shahindej city. The experiment was factorial based on a completely randomized block design. The test factors included nitrogen fertilizer at three levels (0, 50, and 100 kg/ha), and the second factor was potassium fertilizer at three levels (0, 25, and 50 kg/ha), which Four repetitions were performed.Results and discussion: The results of mean comparisons showed that the level of 100 kg/ha of urea fertilizer increased the number of capsules, 1000 seed weight, biological yield, harvest index, oil percentage, oil yield, protein percentage, and protein yield by 40.60, 68.00, 18.25, 158.29, 10.90, 52.00, 27.27, and 114.5% compared to the control treatment. Also, the increase of the mentioned traits in the treatment of using 50 kg/ha of potash fertilizer was 19.31, 41.75, 21.71, 31.36, 22.12, 87.69, 16.26, and 85.83% respectively. The mean comparison of the interaction treatments showed that the maximum plant height, the number of sub-branches, the number of seeds in the capsule, and the seed yield were recorded in the treatment using 100 kg/ha of urea along with the levels of 50 and 25 kg/ha of potash fertilizer. In this study, the difference between the treatment of applying 100 kg/ha of urea fertilizer with 50 and 25 kg/ha of potash with the treatment of 50 kg/ha of urea fertilizer with 50 kg/ha of potash was not significant in terms of grain yield. Therefore, considering the environmental effects of urea, it is recommended to use 50 kg/ha of urea along with 50 kg/ha of potash to achieve the maximum economic performance of Camelina. The biplot analysis showed that the first two components explained 91.5% of the data variation. Finally, the treatment of 50 kg/ha of urea along with 50 kg/ha of potash was recognized as the most appropriate treatment.Conclusions: It can be stated that with the application of 50 kg/ha of nitrogen fertilizer and 50 kg of potassium fertilizer, the same yield can be obtained that can be obtained from the application of 100 kg/ha of nitrogen fertilizer along with 50 kg of potassium fertilizer, also the maximum yield of oil in the treatment of using 50 kg/ha of nitrogen fertilizer and 50 kg/ha of potassium fertilizer were obtained. It can be concluded that the application of the mentioned two levels, in addition to having a positive effect on the yield and yield components of seed and oil, led to the achievement of the maximum mentioned economic traits, they are also the most favorable treatment from an economic and environmental point of view. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4893.html Introduction: Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.), belongs to the Rosaceae family and is one of the most important economic fruits in the world. Apple trees grow best in well-drained, deep, and fertile soils, and the availability of nutrients influences the overall yield and quality of fruits produced in orchards. The importance of increasing calcium in apple fruit to improve its quality has led to research in major apple production areas around the world. Calcium is a critical component in maintaining the hardness of fruits during storage, as it is responsible for the integrity of the cell. Thus, the softening of the fruit may result from the loss of calcium in the middle of the plate and/or its absence in the bonds between the peptic molecules. When treated during the pre-harvest period, the entrance of calcium into fruits delays the fruit’s softening and ripening rate, thereby slowing down the decay of cell walls. The pre-harvest use of calcium can slow down the aging of fruits without adversely affecting the consumer quality of fruits. The preferred method to increase the calcium concentration of the fruit is to apply foliar application of various calcium compounds before harvesting. In this research, the effects of foliar application of different calcium compounds on the quality parameters of Golden Delicious apple fruit were evaluated.Material and methods: In this study, three different calcium compounds including calcium chloride (CaCl2), calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2) and calcium oxide (CaO) in concentrations of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% and control (distilled water) were used to evaluate the effects of calcium on the quality characteristics of Golden Delicious apples. This design was implemented as a factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks in three replications. The experiment was recorded at two harvest times and after 4 months of storage in the refrigerator (4 ͦ C and 85-95% relative humidity).Results and discussion: Results and discussion: Based on the results obtained from the two experiments, the traits affected by different sources of calcium fertilizer and the interaction effects of calcium fertilizer sources were not concentrated. According to the results, different concentrations had a significant impact on the studied traits. The mean comparison results indicated that with the increase in the concentrations of calcium sources, the fruit firmness traits (4.87% and 8% at harvest and 4 months after storage, respectively) and organic acid (0.67% and 0.38% at harvest and 4 months after storage, respectively) increased. Additionally, with the increase in the concentrations of calcium sources, the total soluble solids (13.06% and 11.95% at harvest and 4 months after storage, respectively) and pH (3.61 and 4 at harvest and 4 months after storage, respectively) had the lowest values. Overall, spraying calcium sources at a concentration of 1% at harvest effectively improved the fruit quality and storage capability of the Delicious apple variety.Conclusions: Based on the observations made at the time of harvesting and after storage in cold storage, high concentrations of fertilizer sources, especially in the treatment of 1.5%, caused burns and damage to fruits. Therefore, despite the effectiveness of these treatments in increasing the firmness of the fruit compared to the control, the use of this concentration is not recommended. Since there was no burn effect at the concentration of 1% and it had a greater effect on increasing the firmness of the fruit texture than other treatments, it can be used as a result. Foliar application was used at harvest time and 4 months after refrigeration, and this concentration showed its efficiency in this experiment. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4892.html The use of crop residues in agricultural lands and foliar application of nutrients on the aerial parts of fruit trees can be a suitable alternative for supplying soil nutrients. An experiment was conducted in the form of a randomized block design with 6 treatments and 4 replications on Lael grape trees in one of private vineyards in Shahrood city. The treatments include control (C), biochar (BC) in the amount of 1 kg for each vine, potassium (FK) and calcium (FCa) fertilization in the amount of 100 grams of potassium sulfate and calcium sulfate for each vine, potassium (SK) and Calcium (SCa) was 10 grams each of the respective sulfates in 5 times. The results showed that the highest concentrations of potassium and calcium in soil solution were observed in the BC treatment. Fruit potassium concentration showed a significant increase in FK and SK treatments compared to the control. The calcium concentration of the fruit was the highest in the FCa treatment followed by the SCa treatment, and the highest number of clusters (20.75 clusters per vine) and yield (12.05 kg per vine) were observed in the SCa treatment, which increased the yield by 38% compared to the control. An important point is that in almost all treatments, the potassium concentration of grapes in the lower parts of the bunch was higher than in the upper parts, and the opposite situation was observed for calcium in the control and SK treatments. The ratio of potassium to calcium in the lower parts of the clusters in control and SK treatments was 7.8 and 8.3, respectively, which was much higher than other treatments. In addition, the two mentioned treatments showed the lowest yield among the treatments. https://hpn.shahed.ac.ir/article_4970.html IntroductionAs the population increases, most research conducted by scientists has aimed at increasing yield per unit area by creating optimal growth conditions and enhancing plant access to nutrients (Tehrani et al., 2012). One of the strategies to increase yield per unit area is the use of external inputs in the form of chemical fertilizers (Malakouti, 2018). The advantages of chemical fertilizers include rapid absorption, significant effects, reasonable prices, and ease of use (Nasiri et al., 2016). Tomato is one of the most important and widely consumed vegetables, usable both fresh and processed (Bibi et al., 2012). Due to its various vitamins, lycopene, phenolic compounds, carotene, and mineral salts, this plant plays a significant role in improving human health (Nosoohi et al., 2012). Based on the conducted research, it appears that foliar spraying can positively affect the growth rate of tomato seedlings at the tray stage and subsequently accelerate vegetative and reproductive growth stages in the greenhouse phase. Therefore, in this study, the effect of Sequential 2 Omex liquid fertilizer (one of the widely used imported fertilizers as a foliar spray) on improving the growth parameters of tomato seedlings was evaluated.Materials and MethodsTo evaluate the effect of foliar application of Sequential 2 Omex fertilizer, a product of Omex Agriculture Ltd., UK, on the growth parameters of tomato seedlings under laboratory conditions, a factorial experiment was designed and executed based on a completely randomized design with 5 replicates. The first factor included 5 levels of optimized liquid fertilizer from the Iranian Academic Centre for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR) (control (distilled water), 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x) applied as irrigation fertilizer. The second factor was the use of Sequential 2 Omex fertilizer at a concentration of 1 per thousand as a foliar spray in two levels (use and non-use). Greenhouse tomato seeds of the Newton variety were used for this experiment.Results and discussionThe study of plant height showed that foliar application with Sequential2 Omex had a significant impact on plant height. In the control treatment (no irrigation fertilizer), treatments 0.5x, 1x, and 3x with foliar application of Sequential2 Omex significantly increased plant height compared to non-use. In the control treatment (no irrigation fertilizer), plant height increased by 59.4% with foliar application of Sequential2 Omex. In the 0.5x, 1x, and 3x irrigation fertilizer treatments, plant height with foliar application of Sequential2 Omex increased by 11.7%, 19.7%, and 21.9% respectively (Table 3). Foliar application of tomato plants with Sequential2 Omex in different irrigation fertilizer treatments increased the average number of leaves in the plant. The average number of leaves in the control treatment (no irrigation fertilizer) increased by 50% with foliar application of Sequential 2 Omex compared to non-application (Table 2). The study of stem diameter changes in tomato seedlings showed that foliar application with Sequential 2 Omex in the control treatment (foliar application with water, no irrigation fertilizer) increased stem diameter by 33.4%. In the 1x irrigation fertilizer treatment, the leaf area in plants treated with Sequential 2 Omex (129.07 square centimeters) significantly increased compared to untreated plants (94.37 square centimeters) (Table 2). Results related to leaf chlorophyll content showed that applying irrigation fertilizer treatments at different concentrations increased chlorophyll content in the plant. Examination of chlorophyll b content also revealed that different irrigation fertilizer treatments and foliar application with Sequential2 Omex increased chlorophyll b content in the plant. In the control treatment (no irrigation fertilizer), foliar application with Sequential2 Omex significantly increased chlorophyll b content in the leaf compared to non-application (Table 6). One effective and compatible method is foliar application of micronutrients in plants (Rios et al., 2020). Foliar application is effective in increasing plant yield (Mondal et al., 2011). Addressing nutritional needs in plants with major and minor elements through foliar application is highly efficient. Moreover, this method is economically viable. Due to direct contact of nutrients with the leaf, nutrient absorption efficiency is increased. Therefore, plant access to nutrients is facilitated (Ali et al., 2014). Micronutrients in Sequential2 Omex fertilizer are in chelated form. As a result, improved absorption of micronutrients enhances photosynthesis speed, leading to increased carbohydrate accumulation and its transfer from leaves to fruits and consumption sites (Uchida, 2000; Jadhav et al., 2014; Sidhu et al., 2019).ConclusionThe results of the study indicated that foliar application of Sequential 2 Omex fertilizer at low concentrations of irrigation fertilizer led to improved growth indices in tomato seedlings. At higher concentrations of irrigation fertilizer, given that the nutritional needs of the plant were met by the irrigation fertilizer, foliar application with Sequential 2 Omex did not have a significant impact on improving growth parameters. Therefore, foliar application of tomato seedlings with Sequential2 Omex fertilizer, in conjunction with the use of irrigation fertilizer at a concentration of 1x, is recommended for producing strong seedlings with high growth potential.