Evaluation of student's awareness from the principles of sustainable agriculture within Iran universities

Students awareness from the principles of sustainable agriculture were evaluated among undergraduate and graduate students with specialization in agronomy, horticulture, phytopathology, soil sciences and irrigation in 8 universities around the country including Tehran, Tabriz, Shiraz, Hamedan, Kerman, Mashhad, Azad Eslami–Mashhad and Science and Research Center of Azad Eslami–Tehran. Evaluation was conducted using questionnaires containing 12 questions about concepts (8 question) and application (4 questions) of sustainable agriculture. Two additional questions were included for assessing students’ views about their main source of information and the importance of inclusion of formal courses on sustainable agriculture in the current curriculum. Results of 347 questionnaires were extracted and exposed to analysis of variance and proper statistical comparisons. Frequency of correct answers was significantly different between universities. While students’ knowledge about concepts of sustainable agriculture was significantly lower than its application, frequency of corrects answers were never exceeded 50%. Students with specialization in agronomy and horticulture had significantly higher awareness from both concepts and application of sustainable agriculture compared to other specializations. Educational level was also an important source of variation in students’ knowledge. However, the observed difference between specializations was the same for graduate and undergraduate students. Informal books and scattered information within formal courses were the main sources of students’ information on principles of sustainable agriculture. Importance of inclusion of special courses on sustainable agriculture in the current curriculum was rated as high to very high by 70 and 93% of undergraduate and graduate students, respectively

Effects of different input levels on weed seed bank in wheat fields of Mashhad

Species composition in weed seedbank was studied in low, medium and high input wheat fields. Two fields were selected for each input level based on the intensity of external inputs, e. g. chemical fertilizers, pesticides (in particular herbicides) and soil manipulation. Soil samples from 0-30 cm depth were taken systematically at 40 points in each field. Sampling was conducted in spring (early growing season) and autumn (end of growing season) and weed seeds in the soil seedbank were identified using standard methods. Total numbers of 18 weed species, mainly annual broad leaves, were extracted in three input levels and two samplings. Shannon diversity index (H) for weed seedbank was generally low (

The effect of seed priming in germination of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) genotypes

Optimal germination and plant establishment is an important problem for agricultural productivity in arid and semi-arid areas. Priming is an approach for increasing plant establishment in undesirable conditions. This research was conducted in a laboratory at the College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Two lentil genotypes (MLC198, MLC4), two osmoticum as priming agents (PEG, NaCl) and three osmotic potential for each osmoticom (-4, -8 and -12 bars) were used in this study. Germination test was conducted in two conditions (water stress and non water stress). The result showed that PEG was more effective than NaCl for lentil seed priming. Within the applied osmotic potentials, -8 bar of PEG and -4 bar of NaCl were the best in promoting seed germination. MLC4 showed better response to priming compared with MLC198 genotype. Under non water stress conditions, different parameters of germination were in state of affairs

Analysis of agroclimatic indices of Iran under future climate change scenarios

Analysis of agroclimatic indices of Iran under future climate change scenario

Effects of climate change on agroclimatic indices in rainfed wheat production areas of Iran

Despite the importance of all climatic parameters for crop growth and productivity, temperature and rainfall are more crucial compared to others and almost all climatic and agroclimatic indices are based on these two variables. Climate change will lead to variation in agroclimatic indices and evaluation of this variation is a key to study crop response to future climatic conditions. Length of growing period (LGP) and rainfall deficit index could be used as indictors for assessment of potential impact of climate change of rainfed systems. To study this impact long-term weather data of main rainfed wheat production areas of Iran were collected. UKMO general circulation model was used for perdiction of climatic parameters of selected stations for years 2025 and 2050 based on pre defined scenarios of IPCC for this target years. LGP, length of dry season and rainfall deficit index were calculated from present data and the generated data for target years. The results showed that LGP based on temperature would be increased in all rainfed areas of country. However, including the water availability in the calculation was led to a lowered LGP. Reduction of LGP for the studied stations was in the range of 8-36 and 19-55 days for years 2025 and 2050, respectively. Rainfall deficit index for 2025 and 2050 was varied, respectively at 8.3-17.7 and 21.1-32.3 mm. It was estimated that under climatic condition of years 2025 and 2050 the cultivated areas in the main rainfed production regions of the country would be reduced by 16-25 and 23-33%, respectively

Impacts of climate change and CO2 concentration on wheat yield in Iran and adaptation strategies

The Impact of climate change on irrigated wheat yield in Iran was studied using a simulation model under different climatic scenarios. SUCROS-wheat model which was adapted for the effect of CO2 concentration on photosynthetic parameters, were calibrated and validated against observed wheat yield obtained from different regions of country. Interaction effect of CO2 concentration and temperature on wheat yield was simulated at 3 CO2 concentrations including 350 (current), 550 and 700ppm (doubled) in combination with increasing mean daily temperature by 0 (unchanged), 1, 2, 3 and 4°C. In addition climatic conditions of the year 2050 were predicted by using GISS and GFDL General Circulation Models (GCM) based on IPCC scenarios for the target year. The GCMs were first calibrated by the long term (40 years) weather data from 25 stations located in different wheat production regions across the country. Predicted weather data of GCMs were used as the inputs of simulation model after statistical downscaling and generating daily weather parameters. Wheat yield at different regions was estimated for the climatic conditions of the target year with and without increased CO2 concentration. Finally adaptation strategies for improving wheat yield under future climate were evaluated by means of simulation model. The results showed that despite of some deviation between the two GCMs, average temperature will be changed in the range of 3.5-4.4°C with an increasing gradient from West to East and North to South of the country. This warming pattern will be led to the higher frequency of temperatures above 30°C during the flowering stage of wheat in the most regions. Increasing CO2 concentration without warming showed positive effects on wheat yield. However, the effect of CO2 was compensated for by temperature. Based on simulation results wheat yield was reduced when mean temperature was raised above 3°C even at doubling CO2 concentration. Predicted wheat yield for the year 2050 indicated that while the effects of higher temperatures was partly moderated by increased CO2 concentration the overall wheat yield will be decreased by 13-28% in different production regions. Changing planting dates and improvement of new cultivars with higher heat tolerance at flowering were evaluated as the most effective adaptation strategies for the future climate. Simulation results showed that wheat yield reduction at the target year could be prevented considerably with increasing temperature threshold of wheat cultivars at flowering by 2-4 °C

Leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll as indicators for salt stress

The effect of salinity on nitrogen absorption and leaf chlorophyll content of wheat (cv. Falat) was studied in two separate greenhouse traits, both in a completely randomized block design with three replication. Three levels of nitrogen (0, 1.19 and 5.94 g Urea/pot) and three levels of salinity (0, 150 and 300 mol/m3 salts) were used as treatments. Salinity conducted by combining sodium and calcium chloride in a 1:10 molar ratio and pots were irrigated with modified Hogland solution in close system. Leaf chlorophyll and nitrogen contents, stomatal resistance, specific leaf weight (SLW) specific leaf nitrogen (SLN) were measured at booting and anthesis stages. The results showed a high correlation between SPAD reading (leaf chlorophyll) and leaf nitrogen content and SLN. Leaf nitrogen content reduced but SLN and stomatal resistance increased by increasing salinity levels. SPAD reading increased up to salinity levels of 150 mol/m3 but reduced at higher salt concentration. Adjusted SPAD reading on SLW (SPAD/SLW) showed higher correlation with salinity levels compared to unadjusted SPAD reading and may used as indicator for severity of salt stress

Effect of farmyard manure and planting depth on phenological stages and tuber yield of potato

Effects of farmyard manure and planting depth on (Solanum tuberosum L. var. Agria) was examined in a field study in Faculty of Agriculture Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2004. The experimental design was a split plot with four complete randomized blocks. Farmyard manure was allocated to main plots with 4 levels (0, 20, 40 and 60 ton/ha) and planting depth were randomized in subplots with 4 levels (6, 12, 18 and 24 cm). Farmyard manure and planting depth had significant effect on phenological stages. Emergence and maturity was accelerated and delayed, respectively with increasing farmyard manure or decreasing planting depth. Number of tuber per plant was increased with increasing farmyard manure or decreasing planting depth. Tuber weight was not affected by farmyard manure but with increasing planting depth this parameter increased. With increasing farmyard manure, yield was increased and the highest tuber yield (29.01 ton/ha) was obtained with 60 ton/ha farmyard manure. The highest tuber yield was obtained in 18 cm planting depth. The interaction effect of farmyard manure and planting depth was not significant on phenological stages, yield and yield components

Comparison of different intercropping arrangements of cumin (Cuminum cyminum ) and lentil (Lens culinaris)

To evaluate the effects of different intercropping arrangements of cumin and lentil on plant growth and yield, an experiment was conducted in Agricultural Research Station of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in the growing season of the year 2004. Treatments were A: row intercropping of cumin and lentil B: strip intercropping of cumin and lentil (three cumin rows and three lentil rows) C: strip intercropping of cumin and lentil (four cumin rows and four lentil rows) D: sole crop of cumin (six rows) E: sole crop of lentil (six rows). For this purpose a complete randomized block design with 4 replications was used. Results showed that economic and biologic yield of cumin, 1000-seeds weight, number of seeds per umbel were affected by different intercropping arrangements and there was a decreasing trend in these parameters from intercropped to the sole crop. Biological and economic yield and also harvest index for lentil were higher in sole crop compared with intercrop. There was a decreasing trend in LER from row intercropped to strip cropping and the highest LER (1.86) was obtained from treatment A and the least (1.26) was obtained in treatment C