Agriculture and horticulture
J. Maleki; E. Sharifi Ashourabadi; M. Mirza; H. Heydari Sharifabad; M.H. Lebaschy
Abstract
To investigate the effects of soil fertility methods on the quantitative yield and oil of medicinal plant black cumin (Nigella sativa L.), an experiment was conducted in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Experimental treatments included different levels of NPK chemical fertilizers, ...
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To investigate the effects of soil fertility methods on the quantitative yield and oil of medicinal plant black cumin (Nigella sativa L.), an experiment was conducted in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Experimental treatments included different levels of NPK chemical fertilizers, different levels of manure, combination of NPK+manure, and combination of NPK+manure with Azorhizobium biofertilizer inoculation. The results showed that plant nutrition increased plant height, plant dry weight, number of lateral branches, leaf area index, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, grain yield, biological yield, relative leaf water content, and percentage and oil yield. The highest quantitative and qualitative characteristics were obtained in the chemical nutrition in the treatment of NPK: 120-96-120 (kg ha-1) and in the manure nutrition in the treatment of manure: 20 ton ha-1. In the chemical+manure combined method, the treatment of NPK: 40-32-40 (kg ha-1)+manure: 30 ton ha-1 was the best one. In the chemical+manure+biological combined method, the treatment of manure: 30 ton ha-1+ Azorhizobium+ NPK: 40-32-40 (kg ha-1) was observed as the most appropriate treatment. Overall, the combined treatment of NPK: 40-32-40 (kg ha-1) + manure: 30 ton ha-1+ Azorhizobium had the most positive effect on improving the biological yield and black cumin oil percentage, which also had the lowest amount of chemical fertilizer.
M. Ghorbanzadeh Neghab; Gh. Rassam; A.R. Dadkhah
Abstract
This research was aimed to study the effects of autumn and spring sowing on seed yield, oil content and fatty acid compositions of five safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cultivars in Shirvan region. The experimental design was a split plot in randomized complete blocks design with three replications, ...
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This research was aimed to study the effects of autumn and spring sowing on seed yield, oil content and fatty acid compositions of five safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cultivars in Shirvan region. The experimental design was a split plot in randomized complete blocks design with three replications, conducted in research field of Shirvan College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mshhad during 2010-2011. Main plots were allocated to two sowing times (autumn and spring) and the sub-plots included five safflower cultivars. Cultivars were Cina, CW-4445, Sahuripa- 88, Ghocahan local and Isfahan local. The results of variance analysis showed that the seed yield, oil content and fatty acid compositions were affected by sowing date. Seed yield and oil content obtained in autumn sowing (2330kg/ha, and 29.5%) were greater as compared to the spring sowing (1550kg/h, and 27.5%). The highest seed yield was obtained from Cina in autumn sowing (2989kg/ha) and CW-4445 in spring sowing (1789kg/ha). Sahuripa-88 had the highest oil content in autumn and spring sowing. The fatty acid content of palmitic, stearic acid and oleic increased significantly in autumn sowing. The fatty acid content of linoleic and linolenic decreased significantly in autumn sowing with high oil stability. According to the obtained results, seed yield, oil content, fatty acid compositions and oil stability of cultivars showed significant diffrences. Our results demonstrated that the sowing time and variety may have an important effect on seed yield, oil content and quality of safflower seed. Cina, CW-4445, and Ghochan local cultivars showed desirable potential for cultivation of safflower as well as increasing the area under cultivation.
M. Sedghi; A. Nemati; T. Khandan Bejandi; A. Namvar
Abstract
In order to determine the effects of seed priming and foliar application of growth regulators on pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) yield and biophysicochemical traits of its grain, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design was carried out at University of Mohaghegh Ardabili Research ...
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In order to determine the effects of seed priming and foliar application of growth regulators on pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) yield and biophysicochemical traits of its grain, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design was carried out at University of Mohaghegh Ardabili Research Station with three replications. Treatments were seed priming (control, GA3 and NAA) and growth regulators, spraying (control, NAA, GA3 and NAA + GA3). Seed priming with NAA and spraying of NAA increased grain number per fruit more than two folds. In this treatment, number of immature grains decreased to minimum and reached to one-fifth of control. Fresh fruit yield per plant was higher in the same treatment and increased about two folds. Simple effects of priming on grain yield and fresh fruit yield was significant and maximum grain yield was achieved with NAA priming. Simple effects of growth regulators were significant on some traits, and maximum number of grains per fruit, fruit diameter, fresh fruit weight, grain yield and minimum number and percentage of immature grains have been achieved by NAA spraying. Grain oil and protein content respectively increased and decreased by GA3 foliar application, while NAA spraying had reverse order and decreased oil content and raised protein content. No treatment had significant effect on grain length and width, but GA3 spraying increased grain thickness. Consequently, it seems that foliar spraying of NAA could increase the grain yield in medicinal pumpkin, but it also has negative effect on active ingredients of grains which are soluble in oil. Furthermore, results of this study showed that spraying with GA3 produced greater grains containing more oil.
B. Dadman; R. Omidbaigi; F. Sefidkon
Abstract
This field experiment was conducted from April to October 2005 in order to study the effects of different nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1) on essential oil content and compositions of Mexican marigold (Tagetes minuta L.). The utilization of nitrogen significantly affected essential oil ...
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This field experiment was conducted from April to October 2005 in order to study the effects of different nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1) on essential oil content and compositions of Mexican marigold (Tagetes minuta L.). The utilization of nitrogen significantly affected essential oil content and compositions of Mexican marigold compared to control samples without nitrogen fertilizer. The application of 200 kg ha-1 nitrogen gave the highest oil content (1.16%). The results of the oil analysis showed that the constituents of the oils varied between nitrogen levels. There fore it could be concluded that for maximum production of essential oil, Mexican marigold should be grown with 200 kg ha-1 nitrogen but in order to preserve environment by decrease consuming fertilizer and soil management it is better to suggest 150 kg ha-1 nitrogen to produce safer crops because of the little differences of 150 with 200 kg ha-1 nitrogen on oil content.