Agriculture and horticulture
Behrooz Esmaielpour; Elham Shojaei; Rasool Azarmi; Zahra Aslani; Seyed Karim Tahami; Mehdi Davari
Abstract
Background and objectives: Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is an aromatic plant from the Lamiaceae family, known for its bioactive compounds, such as thymol and carvacrol, which possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. These compounds have applications in various industries, including food and ...
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Background and objectives: Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is an aromatic plant from the Lamiaceae family, known for its bioactive compounds, such as thymol and carvacrol, which possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. These compounds have applications in various industries, including food and pharmaceuticals. Biofertilizers like mycorrhizal and Trichoderma fungi offer advantages over chemical fertilizers. These include reducing toxic substances in the food cycle, improving soil physical and chemical properties, and being cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Trichoderma species promote plant growth through various mechanisms, including the biological control of soil-borne diseases by producing enzymes and antibiotics and direct antagonism against pathogenic fungi.Methodology: To evaluate the effect of Trichoderma harzianum on growth parameters, yield, and essential oil composition of savory in organic culture media, a factorial experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications in the Horticultural Science Greenhouse of Mohaghegh Ardabili University. The experimental treatments consisted of two factors: 1. Organic matter at three levels: Control (soil and sand mixture), Soil and sand mixture with 30% spent mushroom compost and Soil and sand mixture with 30% vermicompost. 2. Trichoderma harzianum inoculation at two levels: Inoculated and Non-inoculated (control). A 2 cm layer of coarse sand was placed at the bottom of the pots to ensure proper drainage. Savory seeds were initially grown in small pots and later transplanted to the main pots at the two- to three-leaf stage. Standard agronomic practices, such as irrigation and weeding, were maintained throughout the experiment. At the end of the study, vegetative traits (plant height, leaf area, dry weight of stem and root, number and length of secondary branches), physiological traits (chlorophyll index), nutrient content (N, K, P, Mg, Zn), and essential oil yield and composition were assessed.Results: The results demonstrated that organic fertilizers and Trichoderma inoculation significantly improved vegetative growth and quality traits compared to the control. The highest dry weight of aerial organs (4.82 g) was recorded in the vermicompost treatment, while Trichoderma inoculation resulted in 4.87 g. The highest chlorophyll index (26.86) was observed in plants treated with Trichoderma and vermicompost. Nutrient analysis showed that Trichoderma inoculation significantly increased phosphorus (3606.3 mg/kg), nitrogen (2.55%), and magnesium (55.64 mg/kg) content. In organic substrate treatments, vermicompost application resulted in the highest levels of zinc (47.87 mg/kg), nitrogen (3.06%), and phosphorus (4143 mg/kg). The highest carvacrol content (71.90%) was observed in Trichoderma-inoculated plants, while the highest essential oil yield (0.599 mL per pot) was found in plants treated with Trichoderma and vermicompost.Conclusion: The findings suggest that organic substrates combined with Trichoderma fungus can serve as an effective alternative to chemical fertilizers, enhancing both yield and essential oil quality in the organic cultivation of savory.
Agriculture and horticulture
O. Heidarpour; B. Esmaielpour; A. Soltani; zahra aslani
Abstract
Background and objectives: Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants that grows in different parts of the world, including Iran. Water deficit has adverse effects on physiological processes such as photosynthesis, nutrient absorption, ...
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Background and objectives: Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants that grows in different parts of the world, including Iran. Water deficit has adverse effects on physiological processes such as photosynthesis, nutrient absorption, development and division of cells, and accumulation and transfer of nutrients, thus reducing the performance of plants. In contrast, biofertilizers play a prominent role in the growth and development of plants by improving the absorption of nutrients and sufficient water through changes in the physicochemical properties of the soil. This study aimed to investigate the effect of drought stress, growth-promoting bacteria (PGPRS) and vermicompost on the yield, amount of nutrients and essential components of the savory plant.
Materials and methods: A factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted at the Research Farm at the Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Iran, from 2016-2017. Treatments included three levels of drought stress (Full irrigation (S1), Water cut at 50% of flowering (S2), and water cut in early stages of flowering (S3), four vermicompost levels (including 0, 1, 1.5 and 2 t. ha-1) and included inoculation with microorganisms at three levels (non-inoculation, inoculation with Streptomyces and Pseudomonas fluorescens p15). Before planting, the seeds were inoculated with biological stimulants. Then, seeds were cultivated in rows at a distance of 25 cm between the rows, 20 cm on rows and at a depth of 0.5 cm. To apply the irrigation treatment, the field's soil was investigated in the horizon of the plant roots up to a depth of 20 cm by digging a profile. The weight method was used to control water. Field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) were measured using intact samples 24 hours after soil saturation for field capacity and placed in a suction device with 15 atmospheres of negative pressure for permanent wilting point. The corresponding values for the soil at a depth of 0 to 30 cm were determined according to the layering of the soil, and from their difference, the amount of usable soil water (AW) was determined. During the test, the usable water (depending on the plant's growth stage) was determined by the soil sampling cylinder and transferred to the oven in the form of moisture percentage by weight. The examined parameters included plant height, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, and concentration of phosphorus, potassium, and essential oil components.
Results: Based on the obtained results, drought stress, vermicompost, and inoculation with PGPRS had a significant effect on the measured parameters. So that the maximum plant height (62.36 cm), shoot dry weight (28.72 grams) and root dry weight (6.35 grams), phosphorus (1.3 percent) and potassium absorption (3.3 percent) were obtained under non-stress conditions, application of vermicompost two tons per hectare of and inoculation with Streptomyces bacteriaand the lowest amount of plant height (22.33 cm), shoot dry weight (18.33 grams), dry weight roots (3.07 grams), phosphorus (0.85 percent) and potassium (1.2 percent) were observed in the planting beds without vermicompost application and non-inoculation with biological stimulants and in severity drought stress. Also, the highest amount of carvacrol (62%) and gamma-terpinene (26.9%) was obtained in the treatment of severe drought stress and beds containing two tons per hectare of vermicompost in plants inoculated with Streptomyces.
Conclusion: Vermicompost with growth-promoting bacteria can be a sustainable agricultural fertilizer containing beneficial microorganisms that improve the growth performance and essential components of savory plants under drought stress and non-stress conditions.
Identification, introduction, ecology and ethnobotany
zahra aslani; Ahad Hedayati; Behrooz- Esmaielpour-
Abstract
Background and objectives: Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a deciduous shrub or tree in the Elaeagnaceae family. Sea buckthorn is one of the native species of the Turani regions of Iran, with limited and scattered habitats in Gachsar, Haraz, Arasbaran, Khoy, and Alamut. ...
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Background and objectives: Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a deciduous shrub or tree in the Elaeagnaceae family. Sea buckthorn is one of the native species of the Turani regions of Iran, with limited and scattered habitats in Gachsar, Haraz, Arasbaran, Khoy, and Alamut. An old miraculous plant, it is highly regarded for its richness in bioactive and nutritional substances. Hippophae rhamnoides is one of the valuable precursor species in terms of nitrogen fixation for the soil. It is a storage shrub resistant to cold, drought, and low-cover environments. Sea buckthorn contains nearly 200 nutritional and bioactive compounds. This plant's fruits are rich in lipids, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and flavonoids. The purpose of the present study, considering the high medicinal and ecological importance of the Sea buckthorn plant and the few studies in Iran, especially in the field of phytochemical compounds of this valuable plant, is to introduce the Sea buckthorn plant, its phytochemical compounds, and some of their uses in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Materials and methods: This article contains scientific papers published between 2001 and 2022 from Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed.Results: All parts of sea buckthorn (fruits, leaves, stems, branches, roots, and thorns) have been traditionally used in medicine and food supplements. Sea buckthorn leaves, fruits, and oils are rich in macro and microelements, vitamins A, C, E, lipids, carotenoids, amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and phenols. In recent years, there have been several reports on the medicinal activities of sea buckthorn, including its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities and its ability to protect the heart and blood vessels. The oil obtained from the seeds and fruit includes bioactive compounds such as palmitoleic acid (omega 7), a part of skin lipids, and stimulates epidermis repair and healing wounds. Flavonol glycosides are one of the most abundant phenolic compounds in sea buckthorn. Flavonoids are antioxidants in sea buckthorn that prevent blood platelet accumulation and cancer cell spread. They improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation. As an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and other natural additive, sea buckthorn is used in various food products. In addition, it is used in diverse forms, such as oil, dried powder, fruit juice, pills, drinks, fruit, and tea. Conclusion: Besides its high nutritional value as a food, the genus Hippophae has several economic advantages as a raw material for cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical industries, and environmental protection. Due to its high tolerance to cold, drought, salinity, and alkalinity and the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, it is an ideal product for protecting soil and water and windbreaks on marginal lands prone to soil erosion.
Improvement and breeding
Z. Aslani; A. Hedayati; A. Hassani; M. Barin
Abstract
Piriformospora indica is one of the growth-promoting microorganisms that can stimulate growth and increase plant tolerance in adverse environmental conditions. To evaluate the effects of P. indica inoculation on some vegetative, physiological, biochemical, and nutrient acquisition parameters and essential ...
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Piriformospora indica is one of the growth-promoting microorganisms that can stimulate growth and increase plant tolerance in adverse environmental conditions. To evaluate the effects of P. indica inoculation on some vegetative, physiological, biochemical, and nutrient acquisition parameters and essential oil content of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare, a pot experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments included control (without inoculation) and inoculation with P. indica. The results showed that inoculation with P. indica increased growth parameters, chlorophyll index, total phenols and total flavonoids content, essential oil content, and nutrients uptake of iron, potassium, and phosphorus singnificantly. The highest and lowest amounts for aerial parts fresh yield (3.92 and 3.06 g plant-1), aerial parts dry yield (1.12 and 0.78 g plant-1), chlorophyll index (47 and 42.23), total phenol (4.88 and 2.96 mg GAE g-1 FW), total flavonoids (0.52 and 0.23 mg QE g-1 FW), essential oil content (1.43 and 1.01%), phosphorus (0.41 and 0.35%), potassium (3.8 and 2.6%), and iron (219 and 180 mg kg-1) were obtained in the plants inoculated with fungus and non-inoculated plants, respectively. Inoculation with P. indica decreased the amount of major essential oil compounds such as carvacrol and thymol and increased the amount of ρ-cymene, carvacrol methyl ether, and γ-terpinene compared to the control. Overall, the findings of this study showed that inoculation with growth-promoting microorganisms can improve the morphological and phytochemical traits of oregano by improving nutrients uptake.
Z. Aslani; A. Hassani; M. Rasooli Sadaghiyani; F. Sefidkon; M. Barin
Abstract
To study the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculation and drought stress on growth, chlorophyll content and phosphorus uptake of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), a pot experiment was conducted using a factorial based on randomized complete blocks design with four replications. The factors ...
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To study the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculation and drought stress on growth, chlorophyll content and phosphorus uptake of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), a pot experiment was conducted using a factorial based on randomized complete blocks design with four replications. The factors were mycorrhizal inoculation (non-inoculated and inoculated with Glomus mosseae T.H. Nicolson & Gerd. and Glomus intraradices N.C. Schenck & G.S. Sm) and three irrigation regimes (irrigation intervals were every 4, 8 and 12 days). The results showed that drought stress had significant effects on evaluated characteristics. As with decrease of the soil water content, plant height, stem diameter, number and area of leaves, number of axillary shoot, root dry weight, fresh and dry herb yield, chlorophyll content, P concentration in leaves and root colonization decreased. Also, AM fungi inoculation had significant effects on growth parameters and P uptake. Plants inoculated with AM fungi had higher growth, yield and P uptake than non-inoculated plants under droughtstress and non-stress conditions. G. mosseae was more effective than G. intraradices in alleviation of drought stress. It could be concluded that AM fungi are able to enhance the growth and yield of basil under drought stress condition through enhancing P uptake.
