Omid Sohrabi; Abdollah Hatamzadeh; Azim Ghasemnezhad; Habibollah Samizadeh; Vahid Erfani-moghadam
Abstract
Medicinal plants have been used historically for various treatments and in human nutrition. Due to their natural occurrence and biodegradability, medicinal plants can be an eco-friendly alternative to toxic chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. An in-vitro experiment was conducted ...
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Medicinal plants have been used historically for various treatments and in human nutrition. Due to their natural occurrence and biodegradability, medicinal plants can be an eco-friendly alternative to toxic chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. An in-vitro experiment was conducted to test the impact of six medicinal plant extracts on tomato growth and callus induction. Two concentrations of each extract (50 and 100 mg L-1) were added to the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium culture. Results showed that Juniperus sabina extract (50 mg L-1) accelerated tomato seed germination by 100% in vitro, compared to the control group in MS basal medium. Callus growth (CG) and callus weight (CW) increased by 50% and by more than 200% when using Taraxacum officinale (100 mg L-1) and Conocarpus erectus (50 mg L-1) extracts, respectively. Biochemical analysis revealed that the extracts were rich in phenolic compounds (348 mg g-1 of total phenol), flavonoids (162 mg g-1), antioxidants (61%), and auxin. Antioxidant activity, plant growth regulators (PGR), and plant defense elicitation probably contributed to these outcomes. Plant extracts also affected the biochemical content of calluses, except total phenol. We recommend using these plant extracts to increase growth, accelerate seed germination, and promote callus induction. Optimal concentrations and combinations of medicinal plant extracts for maximum benefit to different plant species and their growth-related values require further research.
Omid Sohrabi; Abbdollah Hatamzadeh; Azim Ghasemnezhad; Habibollah Samizadeh; Vahid Erfani-Moghadam
Abstract
Irresponsible applications of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural production have caused significant environmental impacts and damage to human health. This study aimed to explore the effects of extracts from several Iranian medicinal plants on tomato growth under greenhouse conditions. ...
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Irresponsible applications of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural production have caused significant environmental impacts and damage to human health. This study aimed to explore the effects of extracts from several Iranian medicinal plants on tomato growth under greenhouse conditions. Within a completely randomized design, the treatments included methanolic extracts of Taraxacum officinale L., Conocarpus erectus L., Allium jesdianum L., Rheum ribes L., Dorema aucheri L., and Juniperus sabina L. at three concentrations of 1000, 5000, and 8000 mg L-1. The measured variables were stem length (SL), internode distance (ID), branch number (BN), auxin content (AC), cytokinin content (CC), auxin/cytokinin ratio, total protein, total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant potential (FRAP). Under greenhouse conditions, foliar spraying with Dorema aucheri plant extract (8000 mg L-1) significantly increased the stem length by 15% compared to the control. Rheum ribes extract (8000 mg L-1) increased internode distance (19%). However, the number of branches decreased by 34% in response to the plant extracts. Compared to the control, the amount of cytokinin decreased after spraying, whereas the auxin content showed a sinusoidal pattern of change. In response to all treatments, the auxin/cytokinin ratio increased, with the highest value observed in plants treated with Allium jesdianum extract (5000 mg L-1). According to the results, the plant extracts proved effective and assisted in tomato growth. Future research may aim to identify effective biological compounds in these extracts.
Mohammad Amin Ghezel; Azim Ghasemnezhad; Khodayar Hemmati; Omid Sohrabi
Abstract
The indeterminate behavior of evening primrose is a frequent limitation in its cultivation. Controlling the final growth of plants at a certain stage is important. In the present experiment, different plant extracts were compared functionally with cycocel at different times of application. ...
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The indeterminate behavior of evening primrose is a frequent limitation in its cultivation. Controlling the final growth of plants at a certain stage is important. In the present experiment, different plant extracts were compared functionally with cycocel at different times of application. The experiment was performed as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included normal water (control), cycocel (zero and 100 ppm), walnut (Juglans regia L.) leaf extract (zero and 25%), oak fruit extract (Quercus castaneifolia L.) (zero and 25%), and cotton capsule extract (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (zero and 25%). Evaluations were made on the seeds, oil yield and yield-components. The foliar application significantly reduced stem length (43-80%) and plant height (13-33%), but increased the percentage of oils (18.75%) and free fatty acids (67.5%). The highest oil content (35%) occurred in response to a combination of walnut, oak, cotton extracts, and cycocel. The highest amount of free fatty acids (23%) indicated more immature seeds and was obtained under the treatment of cotton extract. Natural extracts increased the oil percentage, but reduced the free fatty acid percentage and the stem length. It seems that further studies in this regard can help control non-terminal growth of evening primrose without having a need for breeding programs.
Arezou Forouzi; Azim Ghasemnezhad; Reza Ghorbani Nasrabad
Abstract
Soil salinity and water deficit are major problems for development of agricultural production. In this study, effects of growth promoting microorganisms (inoculation with Piriformospora indica and two isolates of Streptomyces sp.) on the leaf yield and absorption rate of some elements in leaves and roots ...
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Soil salinity and water deficit are major problems for development of agricultural production. In this study, effects of growth promoting microorganisms (inoculation with Piriformospora indica and two isolates of Streptomyces sp.) on the leaf yield and absorption rate of some elements in leaves and roots of stevia plant was investigated under salinity conditions for two consecutive years (2016-2017). The fresh and dry weights of the leaves were significantly affected by microorganism and salinity. High salinity level led to sodium accumulation in the root and leaf; while the amount of potassium and K+/Na+ ratio decreased in both root and leaf. The accumulation of phosphorus in both leaf and root was significantly decreased in 3 ds m-1 salinity. Plants exposed to Piriformospora indica and Streptomyces strains, showed lower sodium content in their leaves and roots. In contrast, an increase in the content of potassium and phosphorus was observed in the growth stimulator microbes-treated plants. However, the K+/Na+ ratio in the growth stimulator microbes-treated plants was to some extent lower than its ratio in control plants. In conclusion, P. indica and Streptomyces strains improved the biomass formation of the stevia plant under salinity conditions by controlling the uptake of potassium, phosphorus and sodium.