Search Results (5)

The effects of the irrigation regime and different fertilizer sources on the eco-physiological responses and yield characteristics of dragon’s head were explored in a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and 3 replications in the 2019 growing season. The treatments included six different fertilizer sources (animal manure, vermicompost, poultry manure, biofertilizer, chemical fertilizer, and control) and two irrigation regimes (rainfed and supplemental irrigation). The results indicated the positive effects of supplementary irrigation and the application of vermicompost, poultry manure, and animal manure by increasing the absorption of nutrients (phosphorus and potassium) and improving relative water contents, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, and the fixed oil percentage of dragon’s head. The activities of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase decreased in the rainfed plants, whereas organic fertilizer application increased the antioxidant enzyme activity. The highest grain yield (721 kg ha⁻¹), biological yield (5858 kg ha⁻¹), total flavonoids (1.47 mg g⁻¹ DW), total phenol (27.90 mg g⁻¹ DW), fixed oil yield (200.17 kg ha⁻¹), and essential oil yield (1.18 kg ha⁻¹) were noted in plants that were treated with vermicompost under supplemental irrigation. Therefore, it is recommended that organic fertilizers such as vermicompost and poultry manure be used to substitute chemical fertilizers. These practices can help popularize organic crops using rainfed and supplementary irrigation. Full article

Bio-based composites were developed from the epoxy derivatives of Lallemantia iberica oil and kraft lignin (ELALO and EpLnK), using UV radiation as a low energy consumption tool for the oxiranes reaction. To avoid the filler sedimentation or its inhomogeneous distribution in the oil matrix, different structure-directing agents (SDA) were employed: 1,3:2,4-dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol (DBS), 12-hydroxystearic acid (HSA) and sorbitan monostearate (Span 60). The SDA and EpLnK effect upon the ELALO-based formulations, their curing reaction and the performance of the resulting materials were investigated. Fourier-transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) indicates different modes of molecular arrangement through H bonds for the initial ELALO-SDA or ELALO-SDA-EpLnK systems, also confirming the epoxy group’s reaction through the cationic mechanism for the final composites. Gel fraction measurements validate the significant conversion of the epoxides for those materials containing SDAs or 1% EpLnK; an increased EpLnK amount (5%), with or without SDA addition, conduced to an inefficient polymerization process, with the UV radiation being partially absorbed by the filler. Thermo-gravimetric and dynamic-mechanical analyses (TGA and DMA) revealed good properties for the ELALO-based materials. By loading 1% EpLnK, the thermal stability was improved to with 10 °C (for Td3%) and the addition of each SDA differently influenced the Tg values but also gave differences in the glassy and rubbery states when the storage moduli were interrogated, depending on their chemical structures. Water affinity and morphological studies were also carried out. Full article

Balangu is a medicinal plant used in the Iranian traditional medicine to treat nervous, hepatic and renal diseases. To determine the effects of Myco-Root biofertilizer and chitosan nanoparticles (Cs-NPs) on the physiological and biochemical properties of balangu (Lallemantia iberica (M.Bieb.) Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) under different irrigation levels, an experiment was laid out as a factorial based on completely randomized design (CRD) with twelve treatments and three replications. The first factor was represented by different irrigation regimes, including no water deficit (90% FC), mild water deficit (60% FC) and severe water deficit (30% FC); the second factor included control (no Myco-Root and Cs-NPs), inoculation with Myco-Root biofertilizer, foliar application of chitosan nanoparticles (Cs-NPs) and co-application of Cs-NPs along with Myco-Root. The results showed that the highest fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, chlorophyll index (SPAD) and fluorescence indices were obtained in 90% FC treated with Cs-NPs+ Myco-Root. In addition, the maximum activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and peroxidase (POX) was achieved in 60% FC with application of Cs-NPs+ Myco-Root. Moreover, the maximum essential oil content (1.43%) and yield (0.25 g pot⁻¹) were recorded in 60% FC following the application of Cs-NPs+ Myco-Root. Chemical analysis of essential oil showed that germacrene D (31.22–39.77%), (E)-caryophyllene (16.28–19.82%), bicyclogermacrene (7.1–9.22%) and caryophyllene oxide (3.85–6.96%) were the major volatile constituents of balangu. Interestingly, the maximum contents of germacrene D and (E)-caryophyllene were recorded in 60% FC after the application of Cs-NPs+ Myco-Root. Overall, it can be concluded that co-application of Cs-NPs+ Myco-Root could be a sustainable and eco-friendly strategy for improving the essential oil quantity and quality, as well as physiological characteristics, of balangu under water deficit conditions. Full article

Lallemantia iberica (L. iberica) is an important dry season medicinal plant. Drought, an important abiotic stress, adversely affects the plant’s metabolism, which can be alleviated by plant growth regulators like brassinolides. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2017–2018 to determine the effects of three different irrigation regimes and four brassinolide concentrations on the L. iberica biochemical properties. A split-plot based on a completely randomized block design in three replicates was used as an experimental design with the following irrigation regimes: full watering, watering until flowering and watering until branching. These were the main plots, and 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 μM brassinolide concentrations were applied as the subplots. The results showed that many antioxidant enzymes and some biochemical parameters were affected by brassinolide treatment. Furthermore, the highest membrane stability and grain yield were produced in full watering treatment in the second year, and these treatments were not affected by brassinolide application. Several concentrations of brassinolide differently affected the studied treatments, and our study suggests that the amelioration of the effects of the drought stress on L. iberica could possibly be achieved through brassinolide-induced elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging defense systems. There is a need for complementary research to prove the effectiveness of foliar application of this growth regulator to improve the growth and yield of L. iberica under water shortage conditions. Full article

Balangu (Lallemantia sp.) is a medicinal herb with a variety of applications, all parts of which have economic uses, including leaf for extraction of essential oils, as a vegetable and potherb, seed for extraction of mucilage and edible or industrial oil. To investigate the effect of cultivation season and standard chemical and nano fertilizers (n) on the yield components and antioxidant properties of Dragon’s head, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design was conducted with 12 treatments and three replications. Experimental treatments consisted of two seasons (spring and winter cultivation) and six levels of fertilizer (control, NPK-s, NPK-n, Fe-chelated-n, NPK-n + Fe-chelated-n, NPK-s + NPK-n + Fe-chelated-n). The traits included grain yield per plant, essential oil percentage and yield, mucilage percentage and yield, antioxidant properties in the seeds and leaves, including total phenols and flavonoids content, DPPH radical scavenging, and nitric oxide and superoxide radical scavenging. The results showed that winter cultivation had a noticeable advantage over spring cultivation across all of the traits. The highest grain yield per plant was obtained in winter cultivation using NPK-n + Fe-chelated-n fertilizer treatment. The highest essential oil percentage was in NPK-n + Fe-chelated-n. The highest mucilage percentage was observed in NPK-s + NPK-n + Fe-chelated-n fertilizer treatment, which was not statistically different to NPK-n + Fe-chelated-n treatment. The combined effects of winter cultivation and NPK-n + Fe-chelated-n fertilizers resulted in improving antioxidant activity traits. Overall, the results indicated that the combination of winter cultivation and NPK-n + Fe-chelated-n fertilizers are the most appropriate treatment to acquire highest qualitative and quantitative yield of Dragon’s head, in the Azerbaijan region (Iran). Full article