Low nitrogen (N) use efficiency is one of the most important problems of cereal production and could potentially reduce crop yields and result in environmental pollution. A study on the effects of tillage methods and urea fertilizer with the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin on the physiological traits, yield and yield components of rye (Secale cereale L.), a two-year field experiment was conducted at Karaj, Iran in growth season of 2022–2023 and 2023–2024. The experiments design was a split factorial plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment had conventional and minimum tillage, urea application (0, 150 Kg N ha−1 urea and 150 Kg ha−1 urea + Nitrapyrin) and two varieties of rye. The results showed that, nitrate reductase, grain yield and biological yield were higher in second year than first year by average of 3.7

This research was carried out in order to investigate the effect of potassium and methyl jasmonate on the morphophysiological characteristics and yield of forage corn under water deficit conditions in Neishabur region in 2019. The experimental factors was conducted as a split factorial plot in a randomized complete block design include irrigation regimes as the main factor in three levels, including consumption of 25, 40 and 55% of available soil water and then irrigation up to the field capacity (named as a well-watered, moderate and severe water deficit stress, respectively), potassium fertilizer as the secondary factor was applied at three levels of 0 kg.ha-1, 100 kg.ha-1 and 200 kg.ha-1, and methyl jasmonate was applied as another factor at 0 µM, 50 µM and 100 µM. The results showed that the highest amounts of total chlorophyll (2.47 mg. g-1 FW), leaf area index (4.95), forage dry weight (37838 kg. ha-1) and forage potassium content (215.5 %) were obtained in well-watered irrigation and 200 kg potassium sulfate ha-1 and with increasing in water deficit severity, the above values were reduced. Severe water deficit stress causes a decrease of 2.7%, 2.4%, 43.8%, 48.7% and 23.9%, respectively, in relative water content of leaf, carotenoids, leaf dry weight, soluble sugars and leaf protein compared to well-watered. Among the fertilizer treatment, 200 kg potassium sulfate ha-1 had the highest relative water content of leaf (72.9%), carotenoid (0.43 mg. g-1 FW), leaf dry weight (177.1 g.m-2), leaf soluble sugars (528.6 mg. g-1 FW) and protein (8.22%). Also, among the methyl jasmonate levels, the concentration of 100 μM had the greatest effect. In general, it was found that the application of potassium and methyl jasmonate treatments moderated the negative effects of water deficit and this adjustment increased with the increase in the concentration of potassium and methyl jasmonate treatments. Indeed, it is suggested to growing NS6010 variety without water deficit stress in Neyshabur climatic conditions in order to achieve the maximum fodder yield.

Understanding how Echinacea purpurea responds to water stress and soil amendments is vital for sustainable agriculture. The experiment was designed using a randomized complete block design in a split-plot arrangement. Three levels of water deficit stress served as the main plots, two compost treatments were allocated to the subplots, and four biofertilizer treatments were assigned to the sub-subplots because no research has investigated the combined application of bacterial strains, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and compost on E. purpurea L. under stress conditions. Under well-watered conditions, the combination of biofertilizers increased relative water content, total chlorophyll, biological yield, and essential oil yield compared to urea. Under severe stress, compost increased essential oil content and cichoric acid compared to non-composted plots. The combination of biofertilizers enhances the content of proline, total phenolic compounds, cichoric acid, and essential oils compared to compost. Compost was less effective but improved the efficacy of microbial inoculants. Urea fertilizer, when combined with compost, led to reduced metabolite accumulation. The results demonstrated significant effects of both abiotic and biotic factors on plant performance, especially under stress conditions. Future research should investigate the other soil microbial, and their interactions with organic matter and subsequent impacts on metabolic processes.

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a considerable leguminous crop, but its growth and development are astricted by drought, which is intimidatory to grass pea production especially in arid or semiarid regions. Farmers are currently adopting good agricultural practices in the crop production. When producing forage, bio organic nutrients are being considered as a better alternative to chemical fertilizers. Here, two consecutive-year of experiments were conduct to investigate the efficiency of bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in changing the growth and yield related traits of grass pea under different irrigation regimes (well watered, mild and severe limited water conditions). The results demonstrated that the unfertilized and stressed plants had the lowest performance of grass pea, while plants inoculated with biofertilizers performed the best. The limited water caused a decline in total chlorophyll content (20.3%), leaf area index (20.32%), relative water index (5.5%), seeds/pod (2.9%), pods/plant (20.23%), 1000-seed weight (2.92%), pod harvest index (0.72%), seed yield (24.5%) and biological yield (17.69%) relative to well-watered treatment, over two years. Rhizobium bacteria inoculation enhanced contents of relative water, seeds/pod, 100-seed weight, biological yield and pod harvest index by average of 9.25%, 4.82%, 4.81%, 16.78% and 1.36%. Moreover, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation increased the relative water content (7.7%), seeds/pod (3.8%), 1000-seed weight (3.9%), pod harvest index (1.04%) and pod partitioning index (13.9%). It can be concluded that application of a mixture of biofertilizers belonging to different groups could be a beneficial method and show a positive effect on the ​productivity of grass pea under limited water conditions.

A 2-year experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of Rhizobium bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in improving the growth and yield-related traits of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) under different irrigation regimes (well-watered, mild water stress, and severe water stress). The results showed that unfertilized and water-stressed plants had the lowest performance, while plants inoculated with bioinoculants exhibited the best growth and yield. Water limitation led to a reduction in total chlorophyll content (20.3%), leaf area index (20.32%), relative water content (5.5%), seeds/pod (2.9%), pods/plant (20.23%), 1000-seed weight (2.92%), pod harvest index (0.72%), seed yield (24.5%), and biological yield (17.69%) compared to the well-watered treatment over 2 years. Rhizobium inoculation enhanced relative water content, seeds/pod, 100-seed weight, biological yield, and pod harvest index by an average of 9.25%, 4.82%, 4.81%, 16.78%, and 1.36%, respectively. Similarly, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation increased relative water content (7.7%), seeds/pod (3.8%), 1000-seed weight (3.9%), pod harvest index (1.04%), and pod partitioning index (13.9%). These findings suggest that applying a combination of bioinoculants from different microbial groups can be an effective strategy for enhancing the productivity of grass pea under water-limited conditions.

There are different climate classes in Iran where about 85% of the agricultural lands are located in arid and semi-arid regions. To mitigate or compensate effects of drought stress and increase crop fitting and yield, effects of micronutrient application have been studied by several researchers. Field experiments were conducted during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 crop seasons to investigate the effect of micronutrients on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of canola cultivars under late-season drought stress conditions. The experiments were arranged in a factorial split-plot design, with two irrigation treatments - normal irrigation (control) or restricted irrigation at flowering stage - and four foliar applications of Zn and Mn after rosette stage (F1: Water, F2: ZnSO4, F3: MnSO4 and F4: ZnSO4 + MnSO4) as the main factor. Winter canola cultivars, including Okapy, Hyola401 and Hyola308, as sub-factor. The results showed that limited irrigation at flowering reduced seed yield, oil percentage and fatty acids content in different canola cultivars. Most of the canola oil is composed of unsaturated fatty acids, and the occurrence of drought stress at the reproductive stage reduced oil quality. By contrast, the minimum yield loss was obtained from Hylon401 cultivar, an early mature cultivar. Overall, it is recommended Hylon401 cultivar for normal irrigation and Hylon308 cultivar for a drought environment when considered the acceptable seed yield in canola. In general, it is suggested that a suitable performance of canola seeds is achieved by foliar application of manganese and zinc.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of biological fertilizers and salicylic acid under water deficit stress conditions on the growth and yield of Satureja hortensis L. during two consecutive years (2018–2019 and 2019–2020). This experiment was performed as a split factorial plot arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. The main factor was irrigation at three levels (full irrigation, mild, and severe water deficit stress). The sub-factors included biological nitrogen fertilizer (non-inoculated, inoculated with Azotobacter, inoculated with Mycorrhiza, and inoculated with Azotobacter + Mycorrhiza) and salicylic acid (no spray and spray with a concentration of 0.6 mM). Although, water deficit stress decreased the total dry weight but, inoculated plants had higher total dry weight rather than control under water deficit conditions. The results showed that the inoculation of Azotobacter and Mycorrhiza decreased the content of total chlorophyll and carotenoids and increased leaf area and thymol content. Moreover, carvacrol content and essential oil harvest index had the highest value under a full irrigation regime, and inoculation treatment decreased these values. In contrast, mild water deficit conditions increased ɣ-Terpine and phenol content, but severe water deficit stress decreased these traits. The highest total chlorophyll content (3.46 mg g FW −1 ) carotenoids content (0.22 mg g FW −1 ), leaf area (649.88 cm), total dry weight (2540.9 kg ha −1 ), essential oil content (1.7%), essential oil yield (43.1 kg ha −1 ), thymol (3.58%), carvacrol content (8.47%) and essential oil harvest index (1.7%) were achieved in full irrigation and salicylic application. Based on our results, Azotobacter and Mycorrhiza can improve the morphological traits of summer savory plants, but in the case of photosynthesis pigments, they were not helpful. On the other hand, mild water deficit stress increased the thymol, carvacrol, ɣ-Terpine and phenol content, which means that summer savory plants by improving secondary metabolites, could ameliorate the water deficit damage. The current study proved beneficial in improving the physiological and morphological traits of summer savory, suggesting that the application of Azotobacter + Mycorrhiza or salicylic acid application can be a suitable solution to increase plant tolerance under water deficit conditions.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of cut irrigation on yield and quantitative and qualitative characteristics of cultivars wheat in the crop year 2017-18 in Shahriar region. This research was carried out as split plots design a randomized complete block with two cut irrigation and cultivars factors in 63 treatments and three replications. The main factor of irrigation treatment in three levels including: normal irrigation I0, cut irrigation in flowering stage I1 and cut irrigation in grain filling stage I2 and cultivars in 21 levels as a sub-factor including; Chamran, star, Sirvan, Sivand ,Arg, Parsi, Barat, Narin, Heidary, Ofogh, Rakhshan, Baharan, Sepahan, Aflak, Mihan, Zare, Gonhad, Orum, Saison, Gascogen and Mehregan. The results of analysis of variance showed that 1000-seed weight, grain yield, total yield, stomatal conductance, canopy temperature, leaf proline, cell membrane stability, grain gluten, SOD antioxidant enzyme and MDA degradation biomarker were affected by the main effects of irrigation levels and cultivarsand interactions were significant at the level of 5% and 1%. The highest grain yield (10857.2 kg.ha-1), total yield (44092.8 kg.ha-1) and stomatal conductance (236.08 molH2o. m2.s-1) were allocated to Normal irrigation and Rakhshan cultivar treatment. The lowest grain yield (1467.9 kg.ha-1), total yield (11496.7 kg.ha-1) and stomatal conductance (44.81 mmolH2o.m2.s) were obtained from cut irrigation at flowering stage and Ofogh cultivar treatment. However cut irrigation treatment at flowering stage and Ofogh cultivar obtained the highest canopy temperature (19.827 C), proline leaf (0.994 µg.gFw-1) and the lowest canopy temperature (13.126 C), leaf proline (0.416 µg.gFw-1) and cell membrane stability (171.14 µmos.cm) was observed from normal irrigation and Rakhshan cultivar treatment. The highest antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase SOD (19.06 U.mgprotein) and MDA (40.68 Ƞmol. gFw-1) were achieved from cut irrigation at flowering stage and Gasgogen cultivar treatment. The results showed that the tolerant cultivars were less affected by drought stress. And by less producing organic matter such as proline and degrading enzymes and biomarkers, they maintained their yield at an acceptable level.

Water stress is a major obstacle to agricultural production, significantly impacting both yield and quality. During the 2017–18 crop year in Shahriar region near Tehran, Iran, known for its dry and cold climate, a study was conducted to examine the influence of different irrigation levels on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of various wheat cultivars. The experiment involved three irrigation levels: normal irrigation (control), withholding irrigation at the flowering stage, and withholding irrigation at the seed-filling stage as primary factors, with 21 different cultivars as secondary factors. The analysis showed that irrigation, cultivar type, and their interactions had a significant effect on grain yield, proline, total chlorophyll, carbohydrate content in the first and second internodes during flowering and ripening, as well as on SOD, CAT, GPX, MDA, DT, and D-OH-dG levels at a one percent significance level. Withholding irrigation at the flowering stage had a more severe impact compared to the seed-filling stage. The Rakhshan and Sivand cultivars yielded the highest and lowest grain yields under normal irrigation conditions, while the drought-tolerant Ofogh cultivar showed lower yields when irrigation was withheld at the flowering stage. Water stress led to increased proline levels and higher levels of SOD, CAT, MDA, DT, and D-OH-dG in wheat cultivars. The Rakhshan and Sivand cultivars were identified as drought-tolerant in this region.

Over-application of nitrogen fertilizers in farm lands is the main reason to contaminate nitrogen components in the environment. Nitrogen can play a main role on the plant growth, biomass and crop yield. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate different nitrogen rates and the response of maize plant characteristics on some vegetative indices using aerial multispectral imaging. The study was carried out in an experimental farm in Varamin city (35.80°N, 51.40°E), Tehran province, Iran. The experiment was performed in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments and two sampling stage in four replications. The treatments were different nitrogen rates included none (as control), 250, 500 and 750 kg urea ha −1 fertilizer which was applied by irrigation water and two sampling stage, 8-leaf stage (V8) and tasseling stage. Data analysis based on the different growth stages showed that, there were significantly increased in the average plant height (198 cm), total dry weight (336.73 g), SPAD index, and leaf nitrogen content in both V8 and tasseling stage. Based on our results, in the V8 growth stage chlorophyll index, modified triangle vegetation index (MTVI), and green model index with the correlation coefficients 0.88, 0.86, and 0.80, respectively, were the most suitable indicators for detecting nitrogen stress in this edaphic and climatic conditions for this plant. Generally, it can be concluded that chlorophyll index in the V8 growth stage and nitrogen reflectance index (NRI) in the tasseling growth stage are the most appropriate indicators for detecting nitrogen stress in that studied area. As a result, aerial multispectral imaging is a reliable technology to assist farmers in fertilizing plants at the right time and place, as well as the amount that the plants need. So, this technology is in accordance with the precious agriculture’ goals and eco-friendly.

IntroductionThis experiment was performed to investigate the effect of microbial inoculation and urea fertilizer on Echinacea purpurea under water stress in two cropping years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 in Ijan village located in Khondab city of Markazi province.Materials and methodsThe experiment was performed in the form of 2 split plots with 3 replications. The first factor included the lack of irrigation in the main plot at 3 levels of 60, 90 and 120 mm evaporation from the Class A evaporation pan. The second factor included animal manure (cattle) in the sub-plot at two levels, no fertilizer and 20 tons per hectare. The third factor of biofertilizer and urea fertilizer in the sub-plot in four levels of application of biofertilizer was Azotobacter+Azospirillum, Mycorrhiza, Aztobacter+Azospirillum+Mycorrhiza and application of urea fertilizer (300 kg ha-1). Flower number and weight, total dry matter yield, chlorophyll, relative water content, proline, catalase, carotenoid, chicoric acid and electrical conductivity of cytoplasmic membrane were measured.Results and discussionThe results showed that the interaction effect of manure and biofertilizer on flower weight was significant. The highest flower weight was obtained in the treatment of combined use of Azotobacter+Azospirillium+ Mycorrhiza and application of animal manure (295.9 and 236.3 g m-2, respectively), which was significantly different from urea consumption. The lowest flower weight was obtained in the treatment of separate mycorrhizal application and non-application of animal manure (0.216 236.3 g.m-2). The difference between the highest flower weight in the mentioned treatment with the lowest value was 36%. In the treatment of non-use of manure, the highest flower weight was obtained in the treatment of Azotobacter+Azospirillium+Mycorrhiza (236.3 g m-2). The interaction effect of manure and biofertilizer on chicory acid was significant. The highest chicoric acid was obtained in the treatment of combined use of Azotobacter+Azospirillium+Mycorrhiza and application of animal manure (7.53 mg g-1 fresh leaf weight). The lowest chicoric acid was obtained in the treatment of separate application of mycorrhiza and no application of animal manure (5.76 mg g-1 fresh leaf weight). The difference between the highest chicoric acid in the mentioned treatment with the lowest amount was equal to 30%. In the treatment of non-application of animal manure, the highest chicoric acid was obtained in the treatment of Azotobacter+Azospirillium+Mycorrhiza (7.17 mg g-1 fresh leaf weight).ConclusionIn general, microbial inoculation was able to achieve close quantitative and quantitative performance and sometimes more than urea fertilizer treatment, which can be a guide for identifying soil strains and producing biofertilizers compatible for areas with similar climates or soils.AcknowledgmentsThanks to all lecturers and staff of farm and laboratory department of agriculture department of Islamic Azad University, Varamin branch.

BACKGROUND:Glasswort (Salicornia persica) is identified as a halophyte plant, which is one of the most tolerant plants to salt conditions. The seed oil of the plant contains about 33% oil. In the present study, the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mM) and potassium nitrate (KNO3; 0, 0.5, and 1%) were evaluated on several characteristics of glasswort under salinity stress (0, 10, 20, and 40 dS/m).RESULTS:morphological features, phenological traits, and yield parameters such as plant height, number of days to flowering, seed oil, biological yield, and seed yield significantly decreased in response to severe salt stress. However, the plants needed an optimal salinity concentration (20 dS/m NaCl) to obtain high amounts of seed oil and seed yield. The results also showed that a high level of salinity (40 dS/m NaCl) caused a decrease in plant oil and yield. In addition, by increasing the exogenous application of SNP and KNO3, the seed oil and seed yield increased.CONCLUSIONS:The application of SNP and KNO3 were effective in protecting S. persica plants from the deleterious effects of severe salt stress (40 dS/m NaCl), thereby restoring the activity of antioxidant enzymes, increasing the proline content, and maintaining cell membrane stability. It seems that both factors, i.e. SNP and KNO3, can be applied as mitigators of salt stress in plants.

Objective: As a critical limitation of plant growing, drought stress has always received a lot of attention from botanical researchers. This study intends to investigate the role of salicylic acid and the Mycorrhiza and Azotobacter bio-fertilizer on Satureja hortensis L. under drought stress. Materials and Methods: Salicylic acid and bio-fertilizers have been shown to improve drought tolerance in growing plants. To evaluate the synergistic effect of salicylic acid, Azotobacter chroococcum bacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under drought stress (-3.5 atm: W1), (- 6.5 atm: W2), and (-10 atm: W3), a 2-year (2016 to 2018) field experiment was organized based on split-plot factorial statistical in a randomized complete block design, with three replicates. Results: The main findings of this study showed that the combinable use of bio-fertilizers and salicylic acid diminished the disadvantageous effects of drought stress. Co-application of bio- fertilizers and salicylic acid significantly increased chlorophyll a and b (22% and 31.5%), carotenoid (30.7%) contents, aerial fresh (38.3%) and dry (64.1%) weights, root fresh (55.8%), and dry (45%) weights, auxin (15%), percentage of essential oil (30.7%) in S. hortensis while it decreased the proline content (48.8%) under severe stress as compared to the control groups, which confirmed the efficacy of this approach and its role in drought tolerance. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that this new suggested treatment could effectively alleviate drought stress symptoms and improve S. hortensis growth under spreading drought conditions and limited water resources.

Two in vivo experiments studied the effects of different alfalfa hay (AH) to alfalfa silage (AS) ratios including 100:0 (AH100), 50:50 (AH50:AS50) and 0:100 (AS100) in total mixed rations (TMR) of dromedary camels. In experiment (Exp.) 1, a total of 18 multiparous Baluchi dairy camel [100 & PLUSMN; 5 days in milk (DIM); 3.65 & PLUSMN; 0.539 kg milk yield] were randomly allocated to one of the three groups (n = 6) for 42 d of experimental period. Dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield were recorded daily, and blood samples were collected on days 0, 21 and 42. In Exp. 2, 18 male Baluchi camel calves [275 & PLUSMN; 14 days of old; 105 & PLUSMN; 8 kg BW] were housed in individual shaded pens for 150 days. DMI was recorded daily and individual weights of camels were recorded monthly. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 75 and 150. In Exp.1, feeding different dietary AH:AS ratios altered neither DMI (p = 0.351) nor milk yield (p = 0.667). Of all milk components, only the milk urea nitrogen (MUN) was increased (p = 0.015) by AS feeding (both AH50:AS50 and/or AS100). AS feeding tended to increase AST (p = 0.099) and ALT (p = 0.092) levels in lactating camels. In Exp. 2, DMI (p = 0.845), average daily gain (ADG; p = 0.092) and return per kg BW gain (p = 0.710) of silage-fed camels were similar to those of hay-fed group. The plasma concentration of BUN (p = 0.014) and AST (p = 0.014) were increased in camels fed AS100. Overall, the results suggest that both AS and/or AH could be used in dromedary camel diets based on the climatic condition, season and available facilities; however, the long-term use of AS (as sole forage) should done with caution due to the potential risk of impaired liver function. Further studies needed to explore the impact of hay versus silage feeding on digestibility, rumen function and nitrogen pollution in camel feeding.

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effect of hormone application and salinity stress on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the quality of essential oils of peppermint ( Mentha piperita ). The treatment consisted of three salinity levels (0, 30, and 60 mM NaCl) and foliar application of four different hormone treatments: control, jasmonic acid (60 mM), salicylic acid (100 mg L −1 ), and brassinosteroids (1 mM). The results show that salinity stress increased the activity of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase, as well as the levels of proline, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and electrolyte leakage. Application of jasmonic acid to peppermint leaves remarkably increased antioxidant activity and proline content in salt-stressed samples compared to samples treated with NaCl alone. Seeds treated with 1 mM brassinosteroids in addition to 60 mM NaCl had higher polyphenol oxidase activity (0.34 U mg −1 protein) compared to samples that were only salt stressed. Application of jasmonic acid under saline conditions induced a signaling pathway that leads to increased antioxidant protection which could result in improved salt stress tolerance in peppermint by enhancing the detoxification of reactive oxygen species.

This study investigates the chemical content of rapeseed and its effects on food industry. Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is one of the most important oil plants that has a major role in providing human edible oil and it is in the third place in terms of oil consumption in the world. The results indicated that effect of year on the number of silique in the plant, the number of seeds in silique, and anthocyanin were significant, and the second year was allocated with the highest level of these specifications. The best seed yield (2477.02 kg/ha) was belonged to one week after yellowing of silique. The silica spraying led to increase in number of silique in plant, the number of seeds in silique, and seed yield and soluble sugar by 11.8, 31.48, and 24.31%, respectively, and increase in silica and calcium concentrations by 98.64 and 66.55% in silique, respectively. Moreover, it reduced anthocyanin and electrolyte leakage by 55.79%. Silica spraying (6%) demonstrated the highest positive effect. As calcium concentration increased, the number of silique in plant, the number of seeds in silique, seed yield, biological yield, soluble sugar, silica, and calcium concentration in silique, and reduction of anthocyanin and electrolyte leakage increased. Calcium spraying No. 6 showed the highest positive effects in terms of the abovementioned features. The results showed that silica and calcium increased the yield and yield elements, physiological effects, silica and calcium nutrition elements, and reduced the electrolyte leakage. The best treatment was obtained by using 6% of silica and 6% of calcium. [GRAPHICS] .

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of bio and chemical fertilizers on yield and production factors of valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) at the Homad-Absard Agricultural Complex in Damavand city, Tehran Province, Iran, through a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete blocks design with 3 replications during 2017 to 2020. Experimental factors consist Nitroxin and Phosphate Barvar2 biofertilizers each with 2 levels of inoculation and control, and also the urea (46% N) chemical fertilizer in 5 levels (0, 30, 60, 90 and 150 kg/ha). Measured parameters were root diameter (mm), root length (cm), leaf width (cm) and leaf length (cm) root dry weight (kg/ha), shoot dry weight (kg/ha), valernic acid content (%) and valernic acid yield (g/ha). Results showed that the biofertilizers had significant effect (p <= 0.01) on the all quantity and quality parameters studied. Unlike the urea chemical fertilizer at all levels which had a negative effect on the yield and amount of valernic acid (%), biofertilizers increased it. Maximum and minimum amount of valernic acid (%) were measured in control (0.465%) and 150 kg/ha urea (0.215%) respectively. The highest and lowest root dry weight were obtained in interaction of Nitroxin+Phosphate barvar2 + 150 kg urea (665 kg/ha) and control (221 kg/ha) respectively. Results of this experiment showed that biofertilizers with positive effects on experimental parameters are able to replace the chemical fertilizers.

Finding methods, which may improve corn (Zea mays L.) growth and physiology under drought stress, is of significance. Accordingly, the effects of different plant growth regulators (PGRs) including benzyl adenine (BA6), gibberellins (GA(3+7)), proline (Pr), and BA6 + GA(3+7) + Pr (sub plots), at different drought levels including control (S1), moderate (S2) and severe (S3) (main plots) on the physiology and genetic contents of corn (Single Cross 704) plants were investigated. A two-year field research, as a split plot on the basis of a randomized complete block design with four replications, was conducted in the Research Field of Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran in 2015-2016. Corn physiological parameters including carotenoids (Car), total chlorophyll (Chlt), chlorophyll a (Chla), chlorophyll b (Chlb), plasma membrane resistance (PR), and rab17 expression were determined. Analysis of variance and comparison of means indicated the experimental treatments significantly (P <= 0.01) affected the measured parameters. The combination of PGRs and drought stress was not significant on PR, and just drought stress had a significant effect on rab17 expression at P <= 0.01. The year parameter significantly affected corn Car and PR. Although stress decreased plant Car, and Chl contents, it increased PR. The tested PGRs significantly improved corn physiology and rab17 expression, and interestingly their effectiveness enhanced with increasing the level of stress (significant interaction of PGRs and drought stress). The role of proline as an RNA binding protein affecting RNA activity and rab17 expression and subsequent corn tolerance under drought stress has been suggested.

Evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid application and coexistence of Mycorrhiza fungus and Azospirillium on basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) under drought stress. This experiment was performed as a split factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the crop year 2017-2018 in Shahriar, Iran. In this experiment, irrigation was the main factor in three levels, including drought stress based on 40-70-100 mm from the evaporation pan of class A. Biofertilizer including growth-promoting bacteria (Azospirillium) and mycorrhiza fungus in four levels, including a(Non-consumption) B (Seeds of growth-promoting bacteria (Azospirillium)) C (Consumption of mycorrhiza fungus as seeds) D (Concomitant use of growth-promoting bacteria Azospirillium with mycorrhiza fungi as seeds) and ascorbic acid in two levels of foliar application, including A (Absence Application of ascorbic acid) and B (Application of ascorbic acid (two days after irrigation treatment)) was considered as a factorial factor. The results showed that the highest biological yield was obtained in drought stress of 40 mm and application of biological fertilizers in the form of mycorrhiza application with an average of 3307.1 kg/ha, which was about 70% more than 100 mm evaporation stress and no application of biological fertilizer. The use of ascorbic acid under drought stress conditions improved by 10%, the essential oil using ascorbic acid evaporated under drought stress conditions of 100 mm. As a general conclusion, the use of ascorbic acid and Mycorrhiza + Azospirillium biological fertilizer improved the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of basil under drought stress.

Background Pregnancy, parturition, and the onset of lactation represent an enormous physiological and hormonal challenge to the homeostasis of dairy animals, being a risk for their health and reproduction. Thus, as a part of the homothetic changes in preparturition period, goats undergo a period of IR as well as uncoupled GH/IGF-1 axis. The objective for this study was to determine the effect of berberine (BBR) during the peripartal period on hormonal alteration and somatotropic axis in dairy goats as well as glucose and insulin kinetics during an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). At 21 days before the expected kidding date, 24 primiparous Saanen goats were assigned randomly to 4 dietary treatments. Goats were fed a basal diet from wk. 3 antepartum (AP) until wk. 3 postpartum (PP) supplemented with 0 (CTRL), 1 (BBR1), 2 (BBR2), and 4 (BBR4) g/d BBR. Blood samples were collected on days − 21, − 14, − 7, 0, 7, 14, and 21 relative to the expected kidding date. An IVGTT was also performed on day 22 PP. Results Compared with CTRL, supplementation with either BBR2 or BBR4 increased DMI at kidding day and PP, as well as body conditional score (BCS) and milk production ( p ≤ 0.05). On d 7 and 14 PP plasma glucose was higher in BBR2- and BBR4-treated than in CTRL. The glucagon concentration was not affected by BBR during the experimental period. However, supplemental BBR indicated a tendency to decrease in cortisol concentration on days 7 ( p = 0.093) and 14 ( p = 0.100) PP. Lower plasma GH was observed in BBR than in non-BBR goats ( p ≤ 0.05). Plasma IGF-1 concentration was enhanced in both BBR2 and BBR4 at kidding and day 7 PP ( p ≤ 0.05). During the IVGTT, glucose area under the curve (AUC), clearance rate (CR), T 1/2 , and T basal was lower ( p ≤ 0.05) in both BBR2 and BBR4 goats as compared with CTRL. Likewise, the insulin CR was higher ( p ≤ 0.05) in goats receiving either BBR2 or BBR4 which was accompanied by a lower insulin T 1/2 and AUC. Conclusions Altogether, our results indicated an improved glucose and insulin status along with the modulation of the somatotropic axis and glucose and insulin response to IVGTT in dairy goats supplemented with 2 and 4 g/d BBR.