Khoshkharam Mehdi

Managing Yield and Yield Attributes of Triticale in a Deficit Irrigation System with Methanol Foliar Application

Mehdi Khoshkharam, Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian

ABSTRACT. Triticale is mainly grown for feed grain and biomass production for thatching straw and general human use. A combined analysis with a factorial layout in the two years of 2016 and 2017 with five replications was used to evaluate the yield and yield components of triticale under different methanol concentrations and irrigation managements in Isfahan, Iran. Irrigation treatments consisted of irrigation on the basis of 70%, 80%, 90% and 100% crop water requirements, and methanol treatments as foliar application on the basis of 15% methanol concentration, 30% methanol concentration and control treatment (0%). Methanol application influence on one hundred grain weight was significant. The maximum plant height, number of tillers, Leaf area index (LAI), leaf area duration (LAD), one hundred grain weight, grain yield, biological yield, harvest index and protein content were achieved in irrigation on the basis of 100% crop water requirement. The maximum plant height, number of tillers, LAI, LAD, one hundred grain weight, grain yield, biological yield, harvest index and protein were obtained in 2017. Foliar methanol application with 15% concentration obtained the maximum plant height, LAI, LAD, one hundred grain weight, biological yield, soil plant analytical development (SPAD) and protein percentage. The results of this experiment suggest that methanol can aid in alleviating the effects of drought stress on triticale in the climatic condition of Isfahan. It is concluded that triticale cultivars performed better in 2017, with 15% concentration of methanol application and irrigation on the basis of 100% crop water requirement.

Keywords: drought; agronomic traits; grain yield; LAI; LAD; SPAD.

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The Role of Pretreatment Parameters on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Two Fennel Cultivars

M. Khoshkharam, M.H. Shahrajabian, W. Sun, Q. Cheng

ABSTRACT. Fennel is one of the most important medicinal and spice plants and has become one of the most important economical medicinal plants in Mediterranean, and the Middle East. The germination ability and percentage are fundamental characteristics which influence the viability of the plants. Prechilling has meaningful influence on coleoptile length, radicle length, seedling length, germination percentage, mean time for germination and germination rate, but uniformity of seed germination did not significantly influenced by it. The cultivar effect was significant on coleoptile length, radicle length, seedling length, germination percentage and germination rate. However, mean time for germination and uniformity of seed germination did not significantly affected by cultivar. All experimental characteristics, except uniformity of seed germination, significantly influenced by hormone. The maximum coleoptile length, radicle length, seedling length, germination percentage and germination ratio was related to 45 days moist prechilling treatment. Isfahan cultivar also had obtained the highest coleoptile and radicle length, seedling length, germination percentage and germination ratio compare to Shiraz cultivar. It seems that application of endogenous GA3+KI and BA+KI concentration, which is provided mostly by chilling treatment, is the most effective factor for breaking the seed dormancy. On the basis of the results, usage of 45 days moist prechilling accompanied with application of GA3+KI and BA+KI in Isfahan cultivar was appropriate.

Keywords: kinetin; gibberellic acid; benzyladenine; germination percentage; germination rate.

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Cultivation of Cotton in China and Iran with Considering Biological Activities and Its Health Benefits

W. Sun, M.H. Shahrajabian, M. Khoshkharam, H. Shen, Q. Cheng

ABSTRACT. Cotton (Gossypium L.) is one of the most important commercial crops and it is famous as white gold. Cotton has a diversity of applications, principally medicinal and many other usages, such as pigments, derivatives for cattle feed, different uses of the oil extracts and etc. Cottonseed oil has a ration of 2:1 of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids and generally consists of 65-70% unsaturated fatty acids, including 18-24% monounsaturated (oleic) and 42-52% polyunsaturated (linoleic), and 26-35% saturated (palmitic and stearic). The most important health benefits of cotton is treat respiratory diseases, treat skin problems, treat wounds, beneficial for breastfeeding mothers, a good cure for rat bite, an appropriate cure for scorpion bite, for joint and eye pains, for swollen legs, for removing bacteria in teeth, and alternative medicine for various diseases such as cancer, HIV and etc. Cotton seed oil mostly extracted from Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium herbaceum, that are also grown for cotton fiber and animal feed. Gossypol is one of the most effective ingredients, both in traditional pharmaceutical practices and alternative modern medicinal preparations. It is a toxic polyphenolic bisesquiterpene, which may have antifertility and antiviral properties. The obtained findings suggest potential of cotton as a natural resource in pharmaceutical industries.

Keywords: gossypol; oil; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Traditional Iranian Medicine.

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Considering Soil Water Content, Nutrients Movement, Phenology and Plant Growth with Reference to Development of Functional Foods in a Lysimeter Study

M.H. Shahrajabian, M. Khoshkharam, A. Soleymani, W. Sun, Q. Cheng

ABSTRACT. Lysimeter is equipped with mechanisms for weighing by load cells enable automated measurements, and the signals resulting from weight changes in the system due to evaporation that are generally recorded in a data acquisition system. According to methods of measuring water content, lysimeters may be divided into weighing lysimeter and non-weighing lysimeter. The weighing lysimeters provide scientists the basic information for research related to evapotranspiration, and they are commonly divided into two types, continuous weighing and intermittent weighing. Weighing lysimeters have been used to quantify precipitation (P) not only in the form of rain or snow, but also dew, fog and rime, and also to determine actual evapotranspiration (ET). Compared to laboratory experiments, out-door lysimeter studies have advantages, like being closer to field environment conditions, it is possible to grow plants and therefore to study the fate of chemicals in soil/plant systems, transformations and leaching. The limitations are costy, which depend on design, variable experimental conditions, such as environmental/ climatic parameters, which are normally not controlled, the soil spatial variability is normally less, they are not suitable for every plant species and even every soil type. The objective of lysimeter is defining the crop coefficient (Kc), which used to convert ETr into equivalent crop evapotranpiration (ETc) values, and determing agronomical characteristics of crops, which are planted in the field of lysimeter. The duration of a lysimeter study is determined by the objective of the study, but for different crops, it should normally be at least two years. Weighing lysimeters using load cells have the advantage of measuring the water balance in the soil over a short time and with good accuracy. Precipitation should be recorded daily at the lysimeter site. All weather data like air temperature, solar radiation, humidity and potential evporation should be obtained onsite, and the frequency and time of measurements should be at least daily.

Keywords: weighing lysimeter; evapotranspiration; crop coefficient; precipitation; super foods.

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The impact of soil amendment of super absorbent polymer on grain yield and yield components of corn in center of Iran

M.H. Shahrajabian, W. Sun, Q. Cheng, M. Khoshkharam

ABSTRACT. Corn is one of the most important cereal crop grown in Iran. A complete randomized design with four replications was used to analysis the influence of soil amendment of super absorbent polymer on grain yield and yield components of corn in center of Iran in 2016 and 2017. Treatments with super absorbent polymer were 0 kg/ha (S1), 15 kg/ha (S2), 30 kg/ha (S3), and treatments with fertilizers were 50% (F1), 75% (F2), 100% (F3), which could be combined into nine pots. The influence of super absorbent polymer was significant on spike weight in 2017, above-ground biomass in 2016, one hundred seed weight in 2016, and grain yield in 2017. There was no meaningful influence of super absorbent polymer on spike weight in 2016, above-ground biomass in 2017, 100 seed weight in 2017 and grain yield in 2016. Fertilizer treatments had significant influence on spike weight, above-ground biomass, 100 seed weight, and grain yield in both 2016 and 2017. The interaction between SAP and fertilizers had significant effect on above ground biomass in 2017. In both years, the highest spike weight, above ground biomass, 100 seed weight and grain yield was related to S3 (30 kg/ha), followed by S2 (15 kg/ha) and S1 (0 kg/ha), respectively. 100% application of fertili-zer (F3) had obtained the maximum spike weight, above ground biomass, 100 seed weight and grain in both 2016 and 2017. Our data have shown that the applied SAP had a remarkable effect on corn growth and yield under different fertilization treatments, and its application of 30 kg/ha gave the best corn production index.

Keywords: maize; grain yield; 100 seed weight; fertilizer.

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Barley residues allelopathic effects on corn seed germination and seedlings growth

M. Khoshkharam, W. Sun, Q. Cheng, M.H. Shahrajabian

ABSTRACT. Allelopathy is the detrimental effect of one crop on germination or development of a plant of another species. A factorial layout within completely randomized design with four replications was used to survey the influence of barley extract on corn seeds. Treatments included plant organs extract (leaf, stem, root and total), and different barley extract densities (Nosrat cultivar) includes four levels of 0%, 25%, 50% and 100%. The influence of barley extract was significant on coleoptile weight, radicle weight, radicle length and coleoptile length. Plant organs had meaningful effect on germination rate, germination percen-tage, coleoptile weight, radicle weight, radicle length and coleoptile length. Among all experimental characteristics, coleoptiles length was influenced by interaction between barley extract and plant organ. Although, the highest germination rate and germination percen-tage was related to 25% and 100% of barley extract density, the maximum coleoptile weight, radicle weight, radicle length and coleoptiles length was related to control treatment (0%). Leaf extract has obtained the higher values of germination rate, germination percentage, coleoptile weight, radicle weight, radicle length and coleoptile length. Interaction between control treatment (0% plant extract) and stem extract had obtained the highest coleoptiles weight, radicle weight, radicle length and coleoptile length. Hence, from the obtained results, it can be concluded that the extracts of barley may have allelopathic influence on germina-tion and seedling growth of corn.

Keywords: maize; primarily growth; forage crop; allelochemicals.

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