Peiman Zandi

Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) is an annual medicinal plant which has been cultivated for herbal raw material (flower heads); its material has been benefiting the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry since the ancient times. A field study was carried out in the years 2006-2007 in the Experimental Farm of the Islamic Azad University of Takestan in Iran. The study was conducted on a fine, mixed, thermic, and Typic Haplocambids soil with the granulometric composition of sandy-loam. The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of different nitrogen rates (N 0 = 0, N 1 = 30, N 2 = 60, N 3 = 90 kg ha -1) and irrigation regimes (I 1 – irrigation after 40 mm, I 2 – irrigation after 80 mm, and I 3 – irrigation after 120 mm evaporation from class A pan) on some agronomic features of flower heads as well as on yield and quality of marigold raw material. Water deficit stress caused reduction in petal yield, extract yield, petal/flower weight ratio, and flower quality while it ...

Cytoplasmic male sterility and fertility restoration system is the most effective genetic tool to develop hybrid rice technology. To tag the restore genes,a F2 population from a cross between IR42686R and IR58025A was raised in the field.Four RF genes were detected on chromosomes 1,7,10,12 with the help of micro satellite simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. Out of 183 pairs of micro satellite markers, 32 markers showed polymorphism between IR42686R and IR58025A . A new RF locus designated as RF7 on chromosome 12 was found to be linked to RM7003 at a genetic distance of 13.3 cM (LOD 6.12). We report here first, a new molecular marker (RM6344) linked to RF4 locus or, chromosome 7 that was previously mapped by trisomic analysis. RM443 and RM315 were flanking the RF3 gene at a genetic distance of 4.4 (LOD 10.29) and 20.7 cM (LOD 3.98) on chromosome 1 respectively. The RF6 was also flanked on both side with SSR markers RM258 and RM591 at a genetic distance of 4.4 (LOD 10.29) and 23.3 ...

The effect of four irrigation regimes (I1-Irrigation after 70 mm, I2-Irrigation after 100 mm, I3-Irrigation after 130 mm and I4-Irrigation after 160 mm evaporation from class A pan) and two dates of sowing (August 30 and January 27 ) were studied during growing season of 2009-2010 at I.A. University of Takestan, Iran. Among the irrigation treatments, irrigation after 70 mm evaporation from class A pan, gave significantly highest plant height, seed/siliqua, siliqua/plant, thousand seed weight and seed yield. The highest seed yield of 3034 kg/ha was obtained from August 30th sowing and decreased gradually thereafter. Findings suggest that, further research should be done on planting date of Indian mustard under different environmental conditions. [Somayeh Rafiei, Amir Hossein Shirani Rad, Peiman Zandi. Effect of Sowing dates and Irrigation regimes on Agronomic traits of Indian mustard in semi-arid area of Takestan. Journal of American Science 2011; 7(10):721-728]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). h...

The Cactaceae is a family belonging to the order Caryophyllales. Cacti typically are found in dry and arid desert or semi-desert regions with high average daytime temperatures and cold nights, and high evaporation rates. Cacti range from Canada to Argentina, predominantly occurring in the warm and arid reaches of the continents of both North and South America across a wide range of different habitats like deserts, sandy coastal stretches, scrublands, dry deciduous forests, high alpine steppes and tropical rain forests (Barthlott and Hunt, 1993; Gibson and Nobel, 1986; Nyffeler, 2001). The main diversity centers are Mexico and south-west USA, central Andes, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina with Mexico being the richest and most endemic region (Boyle and Anderson, 2002; Ortega-Baes and Godínez-Alvarez, 2006). The family is classified into three subfamilies: Pereskioideae, Opuntioideae, and Cactoideae (Schumann, 1899; Barthlott and Hunt, 1993).

In order to determine the changing trends of some physiological characteristics, biological yield, and flag leaf area in
wheat  ploidy levels, while  also  comparing them  with Triticale and Tritipyrum amphyploids,  23  genotypes  were
evaluated  in a field-grown  condition.  Stomatal  conductance  (g s ),  net  photosynthesis  rate  (Pn),  transpiration  rate  (Tr),
substomatal CO 2 concentration (C i ), and water use efficiency (WUE) were measured through three developmental stages
including tillering (Til), early grain filling (EGF) and late grain filling (LGF). Different traits in Triticale and Tritipyrum
genotypes showed a significant difference in comparison with wheat ploidy genotypes. Besides, a significance difference
was observed between the ploidy levels. At EGF stage, there was a considerable disparity among Triticum and Triticale
amphiploids for  C i ,  Tr,  and WUE. Triticum and Tritipyrum genotypes statistically  demonstrated  dissimilar, but
meaningful  trends in all  of  the  assessed  physiological traits except  for Pn. Moreover, Triticale and Tritipyrum
amphiploids represented to have various results in terms of g s . Results showed that the amounts of g s , Pn, and WUE have
increased  noticeably until EGF  stage  and  they  have  declined  by  50%  at LGF stage. The  highest  mean  values
corresponding to C i (Til, EGF, LGF), Pn (LGF), Tr (EGF), and g s (EGF, LGF) traits were belonged to Tritipyrum species
which likely relates the breeding capability of such newfound amphiploid genotypes. Correlation coefficients analysis
revealed that Pn had positive association with g s and Tr in the Til and LGF stages. Throughout the whole phases of the
study, Tr and WUE have increased with increasing g s and Pn. Reductions of g s and Tr in EGF stage have caused WUE to
increase. In 4x and 6x wheat genotypes, the biological yield was positively associated with Pn and Tr. In 4x wheat, the
flag leaf area had a negative correlation with Pn and WUE, while in 6x wheat, along with the flag leaf area increasing,
Pn and Tr have soared and C i has decreased. This research was an attempt to assist wheat breeders in selecting well-
suited breeding lines and physiological parameters, leading to producing high-yielding genotypes in Triticum spp.

The  growing  seasons  usually  depends  on  the
seedling transplanting dates. Proper sowing time is
good  cultural  practice  to  complete  growing  phase
successfully.  This  research  was  conducted  on  the
basis of randomized complete block design with split
plot arrangement (three replicates) during the 2012
cropping season at Rice Research Institute of Iran,
Mazandaran. Three seedling transplanting dates (1 st 
May, 21 st  May and 10 th  June) and six rice cultivars
(‘Neda’, ‘Hovaze’, ‘Hashemi’, ‘Domsiah’, ‘Tarom’ and
‘Fajr’)  were  studied.  Among  the  studied  cultivars,
‘Neda’,  transplanted  on  21 st  May,  recorded  higher
effective  tillers,  fertile  spikelets,  bolder  grains  with
greater 1000-grain weight and grain yield. However,
panicle  exertion,  1000-grain  weight  and  fertile
spikelets  were  equally  greater  with  non-significant
differences in 1 st  and 21 st  May except for plant height
which  declined  in  the  early  and  mid  transplanting.
The  suitability  of  early  and  mid  transplanting  was
mainly  due  to  favourable  weather  temperature
during  the  growing  phase.  Correlation  coefficient
analysis  showed  that  a  unit  increase  in  effective
tillers,  total  number  of  spikelets  and  1000-grain
weight  correspondingly  increased  grain  yield  by
236.6, 39.4 and 72.1 kg/ha, respectively. Irrespective
of cultivars type, the late transplanting of 10 th  June
increased plant height while it decreased important
yield components. Observed trends associated with
growth  and  yield  features  were  found  to  be  similar
in all the studied cultivars. The study concludes that
rice crop may be sown on early and mid transplanting dates (1 st  or 21 st  May) for achieving better growth and
grain yield.

The  global  ocean constitutes  around 90% habitable  space
o n  t h e  p l a n e t ;  however, while 12% of  global  land  is
protected,  less  than 1%  of  the  global ocean  and  seas  are
provided protection. It  is  interesting  to note  that  around
70% of global species are marine. Marine biodiversity is an important global resource that has been integral part of major economies as well global ecosystems across the  planet.  However,  due  to  indiscriminate  and  non-judicious
exploitation of this important global resource (~60% of global marine ecosystems  have been seriously  impacted)  and severe anthropogenic pressure  as  a  result  of  extensive  industrial  activities  along  sensitive coastal  regions,  expansion  of  exclusive  economic  zones,  aggressive
promotion of tourism and marine fisheries have been responsible for repaid degradation and depletion of global marine biodiversity.

The Rosales includes 9 families and about 6300 species; the monophyly of this order is
supported  by  molecular  phylogenetic  analyzes  and  characterized  morphologically  by  a
reduction  or  lack  of  endosperm  and  the  presence  (Rosaceae,  Rhamnaceae,  and  some
Ulmaceae)  or  absence  (Cannabaceae,  Urticaceae,  and  Moraceae)  of  a  hypanthium. However,  phylogenetic  relationships  within  order  are  still  not  well  resolved,  but  the principal  families  recognized  are  Rosaceae,  Rhamnaceae,  Ulmaceae,  Cannabaceae,
Urticaceae, and Moraceae.

Drought is a wide spread limiting problem seriously infl uencing rapeseed (Brassica
napus L.) growth, production and quality, mostly in dryland regions. However,
identifi cation and development of resistant varieties is prohibited by destitute of
eff ective selection criteria. Th  e aim of this study was to evaluate the prevention
possibility of rapeseed varieties against terminal-season water defi cit stress through
selecting suitable varieties. Th  irty-four rapeseed varieties were tested in a split plot
design based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications
for two years (2005- 2006 and 2006-2007) at Seed and Plant Improvement Institute
of Karaj, Iran. Two irrigation levels consisting of irrigation aft er 80 mm evaporation
from class “A” pan during full growing season as normal irrigation (I) and water
defi cit stress (S) by restricting watering from the fl owering phase until full maturity
were established in main plots, and subplots were devoted to split application of
varieties. Water defi cit stress caused noticeable decrease in plant height, silique
plant-1, seed silique-1, 1000-kernel weight, seed yield, oil percentage, oil yield and
harvest index. Th  ere were signifi cant positive correlations between seed yield and
yield-related components. Meanwhile, the highest correlation was recorded for
number of seeds per siliqua (r= 0.64; P<0.01), suggesting that late-season water defi cit
stress could be used in selecting drough tolerant varieties. Among varieties, ‘Sunday’
produced the highest seed yield (4938 kg ha-1) and oil yield (2317 kg ha -1) in normal
irrigation, and ‘ORW20-3002’ had the highest seed yield (2348 kg ha-1) and oil yield
(1000 kg ha -1) in water defi cit stress conditions. Accordingly, ‘ORW20-3002’ and
‘Sunday’ can be reported as varieties with sustainable productivity in stress and non-
stress conditions.