Research paper
Mohamed Habib Sellami; Farhat Sahbani
Abstract
Farmers and experts are continuously searching for optimal conditions to improve the productivity of tomatoes in greenhouses. To provide an answer to their concerns, we have developed a modeling approach to automate the functioning of a greenhouse cultivated with tomato plants. For the aeration, heating, ...
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Farmers and experts are continuously searching for optimal conditions to improve the productivity of tomatoes in greenhouses. To provide an answer to their concerns, we have developed a modeling approach to automate the functioning of a greenhouse cultivated with tomato plants. For the aeration, heating, and irrigation systems, we compared the Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller response to the Fuzzy logic (FL) controller response. For the aeration system, the response of both controllers was stable, with a pick of about 1.09 for the PID controller and zero for the fuzzy controller. Likewise, there was no overtaking for the fuzzy controller but about 8.28% for the PID controller. The rise time for the fuzzy controller was less than that of the PID controller (627 s). We signaled a stable response for the PID controller and the fuzzy logic controller for the irrigation system. The pick and the overtake were equal to zero for the fuzzy logic controller but were 1.28 and 28.2 s for the PID controller, respectively. In the case of both controllers, the rise time was the same, equaling 18.3 s. The regulation time was less than 35 s for the fuzzy logic controller and 31.1 s for the PID controller.
Research paper
Seyyed Fazel Fazeli Kakhki; Morteza Goldani; Jafar Nabati; Nasser Beikzadeh
Abstract
In order to determine the effects of organic fertilizers on morphological traits and yield of basil, an experiment was conducted as factorial experiment based on Completely Randomized Design with three replications under controlled conditions. Experimental factors were basil ecotypes (green and purple) ...
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In order to determine the effects of organic fertilizers on morphological traits and yield of basil, an experiment was conducted as factorial experiment based on Completely Randomized Design with three replications under controlled conditions. Experimental factors were basil ecotypes (green and purple) and organic fertilizers (cow manure, vermicompost, sulfur granular compost and control. Results indicated that the highest plant height, fresh and dry weight of lateral branches, leaf number, leaf area, leaf fresh and dry weight and plant biomass were found in green basil when vermicompost was applied and the lowest means of these parameters were observed in control. Application of vermicompost, cow manure and sulfur granular compost caused (30, 29 and 28), and (61, 49 and 28%) increase in plant biomass in purple and green basil, respectively. Also, the fitted experimental allometric relationship indicated a significant relationship between average leaf number and average leaf area (r2=0.95). Allometric relationships between root and shoot dry weight also indicated more symmetric growth of these two parameters in green basil compared to the purple. Therefore, the analyze the growth relationships between plant components and production could be evaluated based on morphological components (leaf number, leaf area, root and shoot dry weight) and allometric equations.
Research paper
Hossein Zarei; Narges Asadi; Hamid Reza Hashemi Petrodi; Seid Javad Mousavizade
Abstract
Galanthus transcaucasicus is still unknown species whose highest distribution is in southern regions of the Caspian Sea in Iran. No precise study has not been done on Galanthus transcaucasicus in the literature so far. This study aimed to collect and introduce the morphological and anatomical characters ...
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Galanthus transcaucasicus is still unknown species whose highest distribution is in southern regions of the Caspian Sea in Iran. No precise study has not been done on Galanthus transcaucasicus in the literature so far. This study aimed to collect and introduce the morphological and anatomical characters of endemic Galanthus transcaucasicus in detail. 50 Galanthus transcaucasicus accessions belonging to 5 populations (Randomly ten plants from each population) were collected from four provinces, including Mazandaran, Gilan, Golestan, and Ardabil of Iran. In total, 12 morphological and ten anatomical parameters were measured. The largest size of flowers was found for K7 from Khalkhal population with (24.22 and 11.43 mm for outer perianth-segments length and width) and (14.26 and 8.68 mm for inner perianth-segments length and width). Anatomical analysis showed that the cells on the lower (abaxial) epidermis were spherical and short, but on the upper (adaxial) epidermis were oblong and strongly elongated. Stomata were occurred on both the adaxial and abaxial surface of leaves (amphistomatous leaves, but on the upper surface, they were located around the central vein. The number of stomata on the upper surface was less (ranging from 0.37 μm to 0.6 μm per mm2). Anatomically, there is a significant difference between populations from different regions. Maximum leaf thickness was found in the Gorgan population (775 μm).
Research paper
Nayyereh Ghorbani; Esmaeil Chamani; Ali Akbar Shokoohian; Seyyedeh Sanaz Ramezanpour
Abstract
Biochemical diversity may result from geographic and environmental changes. In the present study, 16 ecotypes of yellow flag species were identified and collected through field studies. The identified ecotypes were then grouped into three populations based on their geographical locations. Eight biochemical ...
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Biochemical diversity may result from geographic and environmental changes. In the present study, 16 ecotypes of yellow flag species were identified and collected through field studies. The identified ecotypes were then grouped into three populations based on their geographical locations. Eight biochemical properties, including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, phenol and flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and anthocyanin, were carefully measured by spectrophotometric methods. The biochemical traits were analyzed in a completely randomized design with three replications using SAS software and principal component analysis using SPSS software. The analysis of variance showed that all biochemical traits studied in the ecotypes of the yellow flag showed significant differences (p<0.05; p<0.01). Photosynthetic pigments were most frequently found in ecotype Q, phenol and flavonoids of ecotype K, ecotype O's antioxidant capacity, and ecotype L's anthocyanin content. The studied populations were divided into three main groups using cluster analysis. The results obtained from the correlation table of traits show that the most positive and significant correlations are related to chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll (r = 90%), total chlorophyll and carotenoids (r = 67%), as well as phenol content and flavonoid content (r = 56 %). The results indicate that the studied ecotypes have considerable diversity in terms of biochemical traits.
Research paper
Sloane Wairimu Mungai; Cornelius Mbathi Wainaina; Agnes Mumo Kavoo; Mwashasha Rashid Mwajita
Abstract
Potato is an important tuber crop that plays a key role in food security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, potato production faces challenges including limited clean seed and nutrient deficiencies of microplants. The availability of clean and viable seed is the most constraining challenge hence necessitating ...
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Potato is an important tuber crop that plays a key role in food security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, potato production faces challenges including limited clean seed and nutrient deficiencies of microplants. The availability of clean and viable seed is the most constraining challenge hence necessitating the development of new strategies for enhancing production. Understanding the link between in vitro nutrient enhancement and seedling vigor under field conditions may mitigate these challenges after microplant transplanting. In vitro experiments were set up to investigate the effect of calcium (Ca) fortification on potato varieties Shangi, Unica and Dutch Robjyn regeneration and microtuberization. Cuttings were subcultured onto modified MS media with five levels of Ca 8.8g/L, 10.4g/L, 12g/L, 13.6g/L and 15.2g/L CaCl2. Microtubers were initiated on media with 60g/L brown sugar and 6mg/L 6-Benzylaminopurine. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design replicated three times. The regeneration capacity of the tested varieties differed significantly, evidenced by shoot (p=0.0002) and root number (p=<.0001). Response to fortification was variably dependent with 10.4-13.6g/L leading to a significant increase (p<0.05) in root number in the three varieties. 13.6g/L CaCl2 led to an increase in root-zone and mid-stem Ca content by 45%, 202% and 165% for Shangi, Unica and Dutch Robjyn respectively compared to the control. Dutch Robjyn and Shangi showed better regeneration and microtuberization in comparison to variety Unica under 10.4-13.6g/L CaCl2. Results confirm the optimization of MS regeneration protocol by Ca enhancement as a potential technology for scaling up the production of clean quality seed.
Research paper
Hamid Zargari; Alireza Talaii; Yahya Dehghani shuraki; Vahid Abdossi
Abstract
The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of pollen source, including genotypes 7001 (control), 7005, 7013, 7030, and tissue culture-derived Boyer 11, on two maternal plant sources, including ‘Barhi’ and ‘Piarom’ (tissue culture-derived and offshoot-derived). ...
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The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of pollen source, including genotypes 7001 (control), 7005, 7013, 7030, and tissue culture-derived Boyer 11, on two maternal plant sources, including ‘Barhi’ and ‘Piarom’ (tissue culture-derived and offshoot-derived). The quantitative properties of fruits were evaluated during two years (2018-2019). A population of thirty ten-years-old trees were selected from each cultivar. Fruit physical properties were measured, including fruit length and diameter, the length-to-diameter ratio of the fruit, fruit volume, seed length and diameter, seed weight, and yield. The results showed that the highest percentage of natural fruit set was related to offshoot-derived trees cv. ‘Barhiʼ with pollen from genotypes 7030 and 7013. The lowest was found in tissue culture-derived trees cv. ‘Piaromʼ with pollen from genotype 7001 (control). In general, cultivation of offshoot-derived ‘Barhi’ and ‘Piarom’ cultivars is preferable to their tissue culture-derived trees, since they make better quantitative and qualitative properties. Furthermore, genotypes 7013 and 7030 were selected as the most suitable pollinizers because of increasing the percentage of fruit set, reducing parthenocarpic fruit, and improving the quantitative and qualitative properties of fruits in tissue culture-derived and offshoot-derived date palm cultivars (‘Barhi’ and ‘Piarom’).