Journal of Plant Process and Function

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Because of water and soil salinity, there are many problems for turfgrass in Iran. use of salt tolerant native plants is one of the appropriate way for solving these problems. This study was undertaken to evaluate effect of four levels of salinity (less than2, 4, 8 and 16 ds/m) on morphological and physiological characteristics in naitive grass, Wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum). The experiment was performed based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that salinity stress decreased turfgrass qualiy (TQ), fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots, relative water content (RWC) and root and shoot potassium contents. Also, salinity stress increased shoot and root sodium contents, electrolyte leakage (EL), proline contents and activity of enzymes. According to reduction in TQ and RWC and increase in EL under salinity stress, it seems that increasing in proline contents and enzymes activities could not be able to reduce the damage caused by stress. All of the measured parameters in this study showed the significant differences with control plant in 4 ds/m salinity level. The results showed the wheatgrass is salt-sensitive and salt tolerance it was less than 4 (ds/m).

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To investigate the effects of salicylic acid (0, 10, 15 and 20 µM) on some physiological characteristics of Fenugreek (Trigonellafoenum- graecum L.) under drought stress (0, -3 and  -6 Bar) a Factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications was employed in research greenhouse of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman in 2012 growing season. Results showed that drought stress significantly increased ion leakage, proline and reduced sugar, but decreased other traits (relative water content, membrane stability index, chlorophyll a, b, a+b and carotenoids (ion leakage,Proline and reduced sugar) significantly. Increasing in salicylic acid level ameliorated deleterious effects of drought stress on mentioned traits except proline and reduced sugar and led to increase in relative water content, membrane stability index chlorophyll a, b, a+b and carotenoids under drought stress. Ion leakage also decreased with increasing salicylic acid. All the traits were affected by the interactions except prolin and reduced sugar. This implies different response of salicylic acid in different drought stress. Therefore salicylic acid is able to reduce the negative effects of drought stress on this plant.

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Since gibberellic acid has a critical role in plants tolerance to abiotic stress, therefore in present research the impact of salt water and gibberellic acid treatment on guava seedlings physiological responces were considered. The factorial experiment was carried out as a complete randomized design with four replications. Treatments included sodium chloride (0, 50 and 100 mM) and gibberellic acid (0, 250 and 500 ppm). Based on results, salinity reduced chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity, whereas it increased catalase activity. Even low salt treatment (50 mM), caused negative effects on physiological and biochemical characteristics. Gibberellic acid (500 ppm) improved physiological properties of the seedling. So, gibberellic acid application in the nurseries can be used as an effective treatment for the consequent exposure of the guava seedlings to salty soil and water.

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Abstract

The selection of the appropriate almond cultivars (Prunus dulcis Mill.) in dry and semi-arid regions like Iran in order to produce the optimal product is the importance. In order to study tolerance to water deficit stress, One-year old plants five almond cultivars/ genotypes on the GN15, A factorial experiment was conducted with a RCD which included 3 irrigations factors, 5 genotype factors and 3 replications. Three deficit-irrigation including moderate and severe stress (soil water potential, Ψsoil = -0.8 and -1.6 MPa, respectively) and a control treatment (Ψsoil= -0.33 MPa)  and genotypes/cultivars included: ‘K3-3-1’, ‘H’, ’13-40’, ‘Sahand’ and ‘Ferragness’ grafted on GN15 rootstock in research stations horticulture sahand (Agricultural and natural resources research center of Eastern Azerbaijan).Investigation on growth traits in this study, the number of internod, Proline, protein, total phenol, and total caratnoiede found in the leaves, the percentage of ion leakage (% EL) and chlorophyll fluorescence were evaluated. The results showed that with increasing severity of stress, Proline concentration in cultivar sahand and genotype H (respectively 83.13 and 84. 2 mg/kg) had the highest and genotype 13-40 with 53.65 mg Proline has the lowest. Cultivar ferragnes/ GN15 and 13-40/GN15 had 16.28 and 11.48 mg total protein in leaves. The total amount of phenol in the leaves of almond cultivars from 698 in the treatment control to treatment of severe drought stress to 948 mg equivalent of gallic acid per g. Cultivar Sahand with phenol mg equivalent of gallic acid per g had most activities showed and average percent leakage of electrolytes (% EL) from the 11. 59 to 59% inthe extreme drought stress increased. Severe dehydration stress by increasing the minimum amount of fluorescence and reduce the maximum fluorescence due to reducing the fluorescence rang on the plants and ratio of variable fluorescence to maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) from .083 in the control plants to 0. 76 in Sahand leaves .this amount in Ferragness’ leaves from0.81 to 0. 77 was reduced. Therefore, reduction in dry weight, leaf area and number of leaves and increasing special weight of leaves was observed. By reducing the number of internode, the overall growth of young plants reduced. Five cultivars and genotypes on GN15 in moderate stress tension (Ψw =-0.8 Mpa) of were showned tolerance but in extreme stress (Ψw =-1.6 Mpa) , Sahand, Ferragness’ and only partly H genotype were tolerated but two genotypes K3-3-1, and 1340 in severe stress condation showned dehydrated and over 80% of the leaves are falled, and these genotype as the most sensitive and cultivars sahand and Ferragness’  as the most tolerant and Hgenotype with average tolerance to severe stress on the rootstock of the GN15 were diagnosed.

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Increasing the tolerance of plants to biotic and abioticts stresses is a important and debatable subject. Selenium can play a role in mitigating the effects of stress. For this purpose, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with two treatments, cadmium chloride including two levels (0 and 10 mg /kg) in soil and sodium selenate involved three levels (0, 500 and 1000 mg /L) as foliar application with four replication at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Research Greenhouse in 2012. The results indicated that cadmium decreased plant biomass, photosynthetic pigments, relative wet content of leaves and increased hydrogen peroxide, but selenium 500 mg /L caused increasing fresh and dry shoot, root and garlic, chlorophyll, carotenoids, relative wet content and decreasing hydrogen peroxide Respectively. Selenium 500 mg /L under cadmium stress decreased malondialdehyde (15.3%) and ion leakage (14%) and increased shoots length (16.1%), root length (19%), proline (11%), reduced sugars (25%), superoxide dismutase (22.2%), catalase (41.8%), ascorbate peroxidase (27%), guaiacol peroxidase (10.1%), polyphenol oxidase (17 %) and non-enzymatic antioxidants anthocyanin (28%) and flavonoid 330 nm (21%) in plant leaves, compared to cadmium treatment. In most cases, selenium 1000 mg /L had a inhibitory effect. According to the results, selenium 500 mg /L can play a role in reducing the destructive effects of cadmium and activating defense system of the garlic plant under cadmium toxicity.

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Abstract:
Temperature is one of the most important factors limiting the production and distribution of olive. Different olive cultivars show diverse responses to low temperature and so, the selection of cold tolerant cultivars is the most effective method to avoid frost damages. The main purpose of this study was to compare freezing tolerance of seven olive cultivars and to investigate the relationship between freezing tolerance and maximum quantum yield of PSII, soluble carbohydrates, malondialdehyde, stomatal density, leaf tissue density and leaf relative water content during cold acclimation. After measuring the chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf samples from each cultivar were collected and were divided into two groups. The first group was subjected into different freezing temperatures (0, -5, -10, -15, -20 and -25 °C) for 12 h, in order to determine their freezing tolerance. The second group was used for some biochemical and physiological parameters analysis. The results showed that there was a significant difference among olive cultivars with respect to freezing tolerance. The highest freezing tolerance was related to ‘Amphisis’, ‘Shengeh’ and ‘Conservallia’ cultivars (LT₅₀ -13.14, -11.72 and -11.20 °C, respectively) and the lowest tolerance to the ‘Rashid’ (LT₅₀ - 6.90 °C). In freezing tolerant cultivars, F_v/F_m, soluble carbohydrates and leaf density were more than other cultivars, indicating a positive relationship with freezing tolerance. The concentration of malondialdehyde, stomatal density and relative leaf water content in freezing tolerance cultivars such as ‘Amphisis’, ‘Shengeh’ and ‘Conservallia’ were less than freezing sensitive cultivar of ‘Rashid’.
 

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: Guava, with two bearing seasons, is among economic crops in the south and south-east of Iran. However, the salinity has affected its development and made the necessity of introducing its salt tolerant genotypes more pronounced. Therefore, a factorial experiment in completely randomized design was conducted in Bandar Abbas city during the years 2018-2019 and 15 superior guava genotypes were treated with sodium chloride (2 and 6 dSm^-1). Then relative leaf water content, chlorophyll content, carotenoid, soluble sugars, ion leakage, chlorophyll fluorescence, catalase and peroxidase activities were monitored. In present study, the relative water content and chlorophyll fluorescence of salt-exposed genotypes was reduced. The content of chlorophyll (a, b and total) and carotenoids after salt treatment were significantly decreased. Also, salinity caused increases in catalase, peroxidase and ion leakage in most of the genotypes. According to principle component analysis, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll fluorescence, soluble sugars and ion leakage accounted for 60.30 of the total variance. The high content of chlorophyll, carotenoids and antioxidant enzymatic activity grouped G11, G13 and G22 as salt tolerance genotypes. G18, G19 and G25 genotypes were classified as susceptible to salt stress and other genotypes were intermediate.

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In order to investigate the postharvest effect of sodium nitroprusside on vase life of cut rose, Utopia and Dolce Vita cultivars, an experiment was conducted as factorial in a completely randomized design with three factors and six replications. The first factor was included two cultivars of cut flowers of rose.  The second factor was four concentrations of sodium nitroprusside 0 (control) 20, 40 and 60 μM, which was applied by pulse treatment. The third factor was the time of application at 24 and 48 hours. The results of this research showed that sodium nitroprusside treatment had a significant effect on vase life, catalase activity, ion leakage and flower diameter at 1% probability level and for fresh and dry weight of flower and stem, Ascorbate peroxidase activity and water absorption rate had a significant effect at 5% probability level. The highest vase life of Utopia cultivar was in 40 μM sodium nitroprusside in 48 hours and in Dolce Vita, it was related to sodium nitroprusside concentration of 60 μM in 48 hours. The most antioxidant enzymes activity such as catalase and ascorbate peroxidase were obtained at concentrations of 40 and 60 μM sodium nitroprusside. In general, the results of this study showed that in Utopia using 40 μM sodium nitroprusside for 48 hours and in Dolce Vita 60 μM sodium nitroprusside for 48 hours were the best treatments that could improve the traits studied.

 

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Iris (Iris spp.) is one of the major ornamental and pharmaceutical plant species from Iridaceae family. The aim of this study was investigation the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on some morphophysilogical charachteristics of three genotypes of Iris germanica under salt stress. Experiment was conducted on a factorial and completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Treatments of this experiment were consisted of four levels of salinity (1, 4, 8 and 12 ds/m), three levels of mycorrhizal fungi (0, 15 and 25 g/kg) and three breeded genotypes of iris (OPRC-122, OPRC-125 and OPRC-S54). Whit increasing salinity level, dry weight of leaf, cholorophyll a, b, total chl, and potassium content of leaves significantley decreased and protein, catalas enzyme activity increased. In OPRC-122 genotype, 30 g/pot mycorrhizal fungi aplication led a significant increase (0.21 mg/g) of chl a in compare of control and 25 g/kg mycorrhizal fungi treatment. Also in the mentioned genotype, at salinity of 8 dS/m, application of 25 g/kg in mycorrhizal fungi compared to control and 15 g/kg mycorrhizal fungi significantly increased chlorophyll b. Application of 15 and 25 g/kg of mycorrhizal fungi at 8 dS/m decreased the sodium content in OPRC-122 genotype by 29.71% and 35.50%, respectively. Using of 50 g/pot mycorrhizal fungi at 12 dS/m in OPRC-125 genotype increased leaf potassium content by 12.61% compared to control. Generally, it seems that among three studied genotypes, OPRC-122, showed the most resistance to salinity and mycorrhizal fungi treatments better than control could increase salt tolerance of all three genotypes.


 

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Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that affects physiological processes of plants and reduces crop growth and yield. In order to study the effect of salinity stress on some physiological and agronomical traits of Thymus daenensis subsp. daenensis ecotypes and their classification, a factorial experiment was carried out using randomized complete block design with three replications in Abarkouh city in 2018. Experimental treatments were twelve Thymus daenensis subsp. daenensis ecotypes and three salinity levels including 0 (non-stress), 60 and 120 mM NaCl. Analysis of variance revealed that the difference among ecotypes and among salinity levels were significant (p<0.01) in all studied traits. Salinity stress led to a significant decrease in concentration of total chlorophyll, carotenoid, concentration of potassium, relative water content and shoot dry weigh and an significant increase in concentration of proline, concentration of sodium, sodium to potassium ratio and ion leakage. Studied ecotypes under two salinity levels including 0 (control) and 120 mM NaCl using cluster analysis based on Ward method and by using Eucilidian distance classified into three groups. Khoramabad1, Khoramabad2, Arak2, Fereydunshahr and Semirom ecotypes were suggested as salt tolerant ecotypes based on cluster analysis using all studied traits.

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In order to investigate the effects of kaolin foliar application on growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics of some olive cultivars in Dalahu Olive Research Station in Sarpolzahab city, a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications and two factors (Olive cultivars and kaolin concentrations) was done in 2019. The used six olive cultivars included Amphysis, Sevillana, Roughani, Manzanilla, Konservolia and Zard. Two stages of complete foliar spraying of olive trees with kaolin at zero concentrations as control (foliar spraying), 2 and 4% in mid-July and mid-August (due to hot and dry weather during this period) were carried out and its effects on growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics of olive cultivars were evaluated. The desired vegetative traits such as length and diameter of stem as well as relative leaf water content, ion leakage, leaf proline content, total phenolic contents, total soluble sugars, chlorophyll content and catalase and peroxidase activity were measured in different treatments and cultivars. The results showed that the response of the studied olive cultivars to foliar application of different levels of kaolin was different. Manzanilla cultivar with the highest relative content of leaf water (79.97%) and soluble sugars (10.78 mg.g^-1 FW) and the lowest ion leakage rate (9.02%) and malondialdehyde (1.47 nmol.g^-1 FW) ) and Konservolia cultivar with the highest amount of total chlorophyll (1.5 mg.g^-1 FW) and peroxidase (2.57 units.mg^-1) and catalase (0.96 units.mg^-1) were the best cultivars. Foliar application of kaolin improved growth characteristics, relative water content of leaves and chlorophyll content of olive cultivars in hot conditions. Also, kaolin used in olive cultivars reduced the accumulation of malondialdehyde and total phenol, which was associated with enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes. Generally, the results of this study showed that kaolin spraying can be used to protect olive in warm regions.  

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Rosemary is widely used as an ornamental and medicinal plant. Salinity is one of the most important problems for plant production in the world. Knowing the methods that lead to controlling and reducing the effects of salinity in plants is important. The present experiment was conducted as a factorial in a completely randomized design with three replications on three-month-old rosemary plants. The first factor was humic acid treatment (0, 250 and 500 mgL^-1) and the second factor was sodium chloride treatment (0, 25, 50 and 75 mM). Based on the obtained results, the minimum length of the main branch (24.41 cm) and the secondary branch (7.68 cm) were obtained in 75 and 50 mM salinity treatments without humic acid, respectively. The highest fresh weight of shoot was in humic acid treatment of 500 mg L^-1 + 25 mM salinity, which was not significantly different from humic acid treatment of 250 and 500 mg L^-1 without salinity treatment. The dry weight of the branches was influenced by the simple effect of the treatments, so that humic acid 250 mgL^-1was effective in increasing the dry weight of the branch, and the highest dry weight of the branch was observed at zero salinity and the lowest dry weight of the branch was observed at 75 mM salinity. The highest content of total chlorophyll and the amount of potassium were obtained in humic acid 500 mg L^-1 and the lowest was related to salinity of 75 mM. The amount of proline, ion leakage and sodium percentage were at the maximum in 75 mM salinity without humic acid treatment. According to the obtained results, the use of humic acid 250 and 500 mg L^-1 was effective in reducing the negative effect of salinity.

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One of the limitations of keeping, marketing, and exporting capsicum (Capsicum annum L.) is its rapid ripening after harvesting and microbial spoilage, which reduces the quality properties and spoilage of this product. These challenges have been effectively mitigated by using post-harvest techniques. Edible coating treatments can be used after harvesting different fruits. The purpose of this experiment is to use chitosan at four levels (zero, 0.5, 1, and 2%) over time (zero, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days) with four repetitions on the quality after harvesting bell peppers. The variety of California Wonder is a factorial experiment in the form of a completely randomized design. The results showed that a 2% concentration of chitosan prevented weight loss in 28 days. At the end of the experiment, a 2% chitosan treatment compared to the control caused a decrease in TSS by 42.2%. The highest amount of chlorophyll a was observed in the chitosan treatment compared to the control in 28 days. The most significant increase in chlorophyll b in sweet pepper, with a concentration of 2% at zero time, was 113.33% compared to the control. The carotenoid content of sweet pepper showed a significant increase of 97.14% compared to time 0 in the control at the time of 28 days. The results of the average comparison showed that chitosan with a concentration of 0.5, 1, and 2, respectively, in 28 days caused a decrease in ion leakage by 8.56, 9, and 9.57, respectively, compared to the control in 28 days. The results showed that different concentrations of Chitosan and especially the concentration of 2% compared to the control, maintained the quality after harvesting and delayed the aging of bell pepper fruit. According to the results of this research, it is recommended to use this edible coating as an application to increase the shelf life of bell peppers.

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Salinity stress is among the abiotic stresses that restrict citrus growth. In this regard, the appropriate suitable solutions to improve growth characteristics and antioxidant responses under salt stress conditions can be useful. The present pot research was conducted as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications in the greenhouse of the University of Hormozgan during 1401. The used sour orange plants were six-month-old seedlings (height about 60 cm) that were healthy and disease-free. Experimental treatments included water salinity (1.5, 3, 4.5, and 6 dS/m) and potassium phosphite (KPhi((0, 1.5, and 3 g/l). The results revealed that the salinity of 6 dS/m compared to the salinity of 1.5 dS/m led to a decrease in leaf number, stem length and root volume (44.09, 11.4 and 37.5%, respectively) and increased ion leakage and malondialdehyde (9.23 and 41.7%, respectively). Application of potassium phosphite (KPhi( (1.5 g/l) compared to the salinity of 6 dS/m increased leaf number, stem length, root volume and root length (43.5%, 34.4%, 67.2% and 27.3%, respectively). In addition, increased protein content and activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase, phenylalanine ammonialyase, guaiacol peroxidase and ascorbic peroxidase increased (33.9, 94.4, 6.24, 22.8, 73.7 and 94.4%, respectively). Potassium phosphite (KPhi( decreased ion leakage and malondialdehyde (28.6% and 24.13%, respectively). Finally, this study showed that potassium phosphite (KPhi( (1.5 g/l) stimulates the antioxidant system, neutralizes oxygen free radicals, improves growth characteristics and moderates the harmful effects of salinity stress in sour orange seedlings.