Saadat Sarikhani | University of Tehran (original) (raw)

Papers by Saadat Sarikhani

Plants

The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns... more The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns and the nutritional value of their products. With the increasing role and importance given to nuts (i.e., walnuts, hazelnut, pistachio, pecan, almond) in a balanced and healthy diet and their benefits to human health, breeding of the nuts species has also been stepped up. Most recent fruit breeding programs have focused on scion genetic improvement. However, the use of locally adapted grafted rootstocks also enhanced the productivity and quality of tree fruit crops. Grafting is an ancient horticultural practice used in nut crops to manipulate scion phenotype and productivity and overcome biotic and abiotic stresses. There are complex rootstock breeding objectives and physiological and molecular aspects of rootstock–scion interactions in nut crops. In this review, we provide an overview of these, considering the mechanisms involved in nutrient and water uptake, regulation of phytohormone...

Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Nut and Beverage Crops

The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns... more The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns and the nutritional value of their products. With the increasing role and importance given to nuts (i.e., walnuts, hazelnut, pistachio, pecan, almond) in a balanced and healthy diet and in the prevention of various diseases, breeding of the nuts species has also been stepped up. Most recent fruit breeding programs have focused on scion genetic improvement. However, the use of locally adapted grafted rootstocks also enhanced the productivity and quality of tree fruit crops. Grafting is an ancient horticultural practice use in nut crops to manipulate scion phenotype and productivity and overcome biotic and abiotic stresses. There are complex rootstock breeding objectives and physiological and molecular aspects of rootstock–scion interactions in nut crops. In this review, we provide an overview of these, considering the mechanisms involved in nutrient and water uptake, regulation of phytoh...

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution

Climate change may cause a significant decline in winter chill over the coming decades and is beco... more Climate change may cause a significant decline in winter chill over the coming decades and is becoming an important issue forwalnut (Juglansregia L.) breeding programs to address. The current study was conducted to identify superior walnut genotypes with low-chilling requirements in western Iran (Ilam province). In the first step, approximately 200 walnut trees of seed-origin were pre-selected based on a questionnaire. Based on this primary evaluation for phenotypic and horticultural traits, 55 of the 200 genotypes were selected for further study. Morphological and phenological traits of these 55 were evaluated for two consecutive years and 11 genotypes were selected as superior. These superior genotypes were moderate to late-leafing with high yield, lateral fruitfulness, thin shells, and light to extra light kernel color. Nut weight, kernel weight and kernel percentage of the 11 superior genotypes ranged between 12.6–15.9 g, 6.9–8.2 g, and 49.7–62.0%, respectively. These superior genotypes had high levels of protein (13.3–18.2%), oil (55.3–65.9%) and PUFAs content. Assessment of chilling requirement of these superior genotypes showed that eight (IrIlZg1, IrIlZg13, IrIlZg7, IrIlZg12, IrIlAa92, IrIlAa47, IrIlAa48 and IrIlAa27) had significantly lower chilling requirements than the cultivar ‘Chandler’. Although having low-chill requirements, these genotypes were moderate to late-leafing. This may be due to their high heat requirement, since chilling requirement together with heat accumulation determines the leafing and flowering date. In conclusion, the selected low chilling requirement genotypes having moderate to late leafing could be used in walnut breeding programs to release commercial cultivars which are suitable for areas with spring frost concerns and expected future loss of winter chill due to climate change.

Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences

Scientific Reports

Drought is an important environmental stress that has negative effects on plant growth leading to... more Drought is an important environmental stress that has negative effects on plant growth leading to a reduction in yield. In this study, the positive role of nanoparticles of SiO2, Se, and Se/SiO2(SiO2-NPs, Se-NPs and Se/SiO2-NPs) has been investigated in modulating negative effects of drought on the growth and yield of strawberry plants. Spraying of solutions containing nanoparticles of SiO2, Se, and Se/SiO2(50 and 100 mg L−1) improved the growth and yield parameters of strawberry plants grown under normal and drought stress conditions (30, 60, and 100%FC). Plants treated with Se/SiO2(100 mg L−1) preserved more of their photosynthetic pigments compared with other treated plants and presented higher levels of key osmolytes such as carbohydrate and proline. This treatment also increased relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI) and water use efficiency (WUE). In addition, exogenous spraying of Se/SiO2increased drought tolerance through increasing the activity of anti...

BIO Web of Conferences

As one of the main origin centers of nut trees, Iran is the fourth leading nut crops producer in ... more As one of the main origin centers of nut trees, Iran is the fourth leading nut crops producer in the world (6% of total nut production). Due to the high genetic diversity, development of new varieties and rootstocks with desirable characteristics have been highly considered by fruit breeders in Iran. In this regard, molecular breeders concentrate on filling the gaps in the conventional breeding with the aim of accelerating breeding programs. Recent advancements in molecular breeding such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, high-throughput genotyping platforms and genomics-based approaches including genome wide association studies (GWAS), and genomic selection (GS) have opened up new avenues to enhance the efficiency of nut trees breeding. Over the past decades, Iranian nut crops breeders have successfully used advanced molecular and genomic tools such as molecular markers, genetic transformations and high-throughput genotyping to explore the genetic basis of the desired ...

International Journal of Fruit Science

BMC Plant Biology

Background: Flower development and sufficient fruit set are important parameters with respect to ... more Background: Flower development and sufficient fruit set are important parameters with respect to walnut yield. Knowledge about flowering genes of fruit trees can help to conduct better molecular breeding programs. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the expression pattern of some flowering genes (FT, SOC1, CAL, LFY and TFL1) in Persian walnut (cv. Chandler) during the growing season and winter dormancy. Results: The results showed that walnut flower induction and initiation in Shahmirzad, Iran occurred in early June and late September, respectively. After meeting chilling and heat requirement, flower differentiation and anthesis occurred in late-March and mid-April to early-May, respectively. Study of flowering gene expression showed that the expression of the FT gene increased in three stages including before breaking of bud dormancy, from late March to late April (coincided with flower differentiation and anthesis) and from late May to mid-June (coincided with flower induction). Like FT, the expression of SOC1 gene increased during flower induction and initiation (mid-May to early-August) as well as flower anthesis (mid-April to early-May). LFY and CAL genes as floral meristem identity genes are activated by FT and SOC1 genes. In contrast with flowering stimulus genes, TFL1 showed overexpression during winter dormancy which prevented flowering. Conclusion: The expression of FT gene activated downstream floral meristem identity genes including SOC1, CAL and LFY which consequently led to release bud dormancy as well as flower anthesis and induction. Also, TFL1 as a flowering inhibitor gene in walnut showed overexpression during the bud dormancy. Chilling accumulation reduced TFL1 gene expression and increased the expression of flowering genes which ultimately led to overcome dormancy.

PLOS ONE

Due to higher temperatures and lower water availability, climate change is likely to have a major... more Due to higher temperatures and lower water availability, climate change is likely to have a major impact on walnut production in the near future. Climate change will alter the land suitability for walnut cultivation around the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions like Iran. Here, land suitability for the cultivation of walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Iran was determined using the GIS for present and future conditions (2020-2049) with an approach to climate change. Accordingly, data from 375 synoptic stations throughout Iran were gathered for climatic factors including average, minimum and maximum temperatures, relative humidity and chilling requirement. Also, ASTER sensors (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) and their data provided this research with cells that make a precision of 150 m (5 s), and the data were used for gauging geological parameters such as altitude and land slope. The electrical conductivity (EC) of soil and water were informed by the data bank of the Iranian Water Resources Management. The results of temperature simulations for the future (2020-2049) were analyzed by 21 AOGCM-AR5 models under the RCP4.5 emission scenario. In the first phase of evaluations, the maps of land suitability were constructed for present conditions by considering a network of the above-mentioned parameters. By combining these layers of information, the final map of land suitability was illustrated for walnut cultivation. In the second phase, the NEX-GDDP was used in order to determine land suitability for the future (2020-2049). The results showed that Iran currently has 582844 km 2 of land suitable for walnut cultivation. However, the future will see less suitable lands: the current area will be reduced by 6.19%, from 582844 km 2 to 546710 km 2. In general, the northern, northwestern and western margins of Iran are currently suitable for walnut cultivation. By approximation, these lands will also be major areas for prospective cultivations of walnut in the future (2020-2049), even though their current stretch will be reduced.

HortScience

Drought stress is one of the main constraints limiting worldwide crop production. Arbuscular myco... more Drought stress is one of the main constraints limiting worldwide crop production. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) such as Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillium lipofrum have been shown to alleviate drought stress effects. Therefore, the interaction effect of AM fungi [Glomus mosseae, G. etunicatum, and a mix of these (G. mix), and PGPB bacteria (Azotobacter chroococcum + Azospirillium lipofrum)] was investigated in 1-year-old walnut seedlings (cv. Chandler) under normal and drought stress conditions. Drought stress reduced growth (plant height, root length, number of leaves, and fresh weight) and leaf nutrient content (N, P, and Zn) significantly of walnut plants. In contrast, proline, total soluble sugar, starch peroxidase enzyme activity, and total phenolic content of walnut leaves increased under this stress. Application of fungi or bacteria, and especially their simultaneous use, alleviated the negative effects of drought stress on waln...

Notulae Scientia Biologicae

There are many constraints of space, light and availability of fruits to harvest in tomatoes gree... more There are many constraints of space, light and availability of fruits to harvest in tomatoes greenhouse. Therefore, two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of shoot pruning and flower thinning on quality and quantity of fruits of semi-determinate tomato in a greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Persian Gulf University of Bushehr. Experimental design was randomized complete block designs in which the effect of shoot pruning (single branch pruning, double branch pruning, pyramidal pruning and control) or flower thinning (Cluster with 4 and 5 remained flowers and control) were studied separately. Results showed that, leaf area and plants yield were higher in treatments which were pruned than control. Yields from pyramidal pruning and cluster thinning with 5 remaining flowers were significantly higher than other treatments. On the other hand, qualitative study identified that pyramidal pruning increases vitamin C in fruits, but had no signific...

HortScience

Plant genetic diversity is the fundamental of plant-breeding programs to improve desirable charac... more Plant genetic diversity is the fundamental of plant-breeding programs to improve desirable characteristics. Hence, evaluation of genetic diversity is the first step in fruit-breeding programs. Accordingly, the current study was carried out to evaluate 25 superior walnut genotypes in respect of phenotypic and cytological characteristics. For this purpose, 560 walnut genotypes in southwest of Iran were evaluated based on UPOV and International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) descriptor. After a 2-year primary evaluation, 25 superior genotypes were selected for future phenotypic and genome size assessment. Flow cytometry was used to estimate genome size of the selected superior genotypes. A high genetic diversity was found in walnut population collected from the southwest of Iran. The selected superior genotypes had high yield, lateral bearing, thin-shell thickness (0.90–1.64 mm), high nut (12.54–19.80 g) and kernel (7.02–9.91 g) weight with light (L) to extra light (EL) kern...

Notulae Scientia Biologicae

In many cases evaluation of chlorophyll and nitrogen content in plants need to destructive method... more In many cases evaluation of chlorophyll and nitrogen content in plants need to destructive methods, more time and organic solvents. Application of chlorophyll meters save time and resources. The aim of this study was estimating of chlorophyll and nitrogen content in Asian pear leaves using non-destructive method and rapid quantification of chlorophyll by chlorophyll content meter (CCM-200). This study was conducted on 8 years old Asian pear trees during June 2008 in Tehran, Iran. To develop our regression model, the chlorophyll meter data were correlated with extracted chlorophyll and nitrogen content data obtained from DMSO and Kejeldal methods, respectively. The results showed that, there was positive and linear correlation between CCM-200 data and chlorophyll a (R=0.7183), chlorophyll b (R=0.8523), total chlorophyll (R=0.90), and total nitrogen content (R=0.76) in Asian pear leaves. Thus, it can be concluded that, CCM-200 can be used in order to predict both chlorophyll and nitro...

Scientific reports, Jan 2, 2018

The main aim of the present investigation is modeling and optimization of a new culture medium fo... more The main aim of the present investigation is modeling and optimization of a new culture medium for in vitro rooting of G×N15 rootstock using an artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA). Six experiments for assessing different media culture, various concentrations of Indole - 3- butyric acid, different concentrations of Thiamine and Fe-EDDHA were designed. The effects of five ionic macronutrients (NH, NO, Ca, K and Cl) on five growth parameters [root number (RN), root length (RL), root percentage (R%), fresh (FW) and dry weight (DW)] were evaluated using the ANN-GA method. The R correlation values of 0.88, 0.88, 0.98, 0.94 and 0.87 between observed and predicted values were acquired for all five growth parameters, respectively. The ANN-GA results indicated that among the input variables, K (7.6) and NH4 (4.4), K (7.7) and Ca (2.8), K (36.7) and NH (4.3), K (14.7) and NH (4.4) and K (7.6) and NH (4.3) had the highest values of variable sensitivity ratio (VSR) in the data s...

Seed and seedling traits are affected by the conditions of the maternal environment, such as ligh... more Seed and seedling traits are affected by the conditions of the maternal environment, such as light, temperature and nutrient availability. In this study, we have investigated whether different maternally applied nitrate and phosphate concentrations affect the seed and seedling performance of two tomato genotypes: Solanum lycopersicum cv. Money maker and Solanum pimpinellifolium accession CGN14498. We observed large differences for seed and seedling traits between the two genotypes. Additionally, we have shown that for nitrate most of the seed and seedling traits were significantly affected by genotype by environment interactions (G×E). The effect of the maternal environment was clearly visible in the primary metabolites of the dry seeds. For example, we could show that the amount of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in Money maker seeds was affected by the differences in the maternal environments and was positively correlated with seed germination under high temperature. Overall, compared ...

Plants

The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns... more The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns and the nutritional value of their products. With the increasing role and importance given to nuts (i.e., walnuts, hazelnut, pistachio, pecan, almond) in a balanced and healthy diet and their benefits to human health, breeding of the nuts species has also been stepped up. Most recent fruit breeding programs have focused on scion genetic improvement. However, the use of locally adapted grafted rootstocks also enhanced the productivity and quality of tree fruit crops. Grafting is an ancient horticultural practice used in nut crops to manipulate scion phenotype and productivity and overcome biotic and abiotic stresses. There are complex rootstock breeding objectives and physiological and molecular aspects of rootstock–scion interactions in nut crops. In this review, we provide an overview of these, considering the mechanisms involved in nutrient and water uptake, regulation of phytohormone...

Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Nut and Beverage Crops

The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns... more The production and consumption of nuts are increasing in the world due to strong economic returns and the nutritional value of their products. With the increasing role and importance given to nuts (i.e., walnuts, hazelnut, pistachio, pecan, almond) in a balanced and healthy diet and in the prevention of various diseases, breeding of the nuts species has also been stepped up. Most recent fruit breeding programs have focused on scion genetic improvement. However, the use of locally adapted grafted rootstocks also enhanced the productivity and quality of tree fruit crops. Grafting is an ancient horticultural practice use in nut crops to manipulate scion phenotype and productivity and overcome biotic and abiotic stresses. There are complex rootstock breeding objectives and physiological and molecular aspects of rootstock–scion interactions in nut crops. In this review, we provide an overview of these, considering the mechanisms involved in nutrient and water uptake, regulation of phytoh...

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution

Climate change may cause a significant decline in winter chill over the coming decades and is beco... more Climate change may cause a significant decline in winter chill over the coming decades and is becoming an important issue forwalnut (Juglansregia L.) breeding programs to address. The current study was conducted to identify superior walnut genotypes with low-chilling requirements in western Iran (Ilam province). In the first step, approximately 200 walnut trees of seed-origin were pre-selected based on a questionnaire. Based on this primary evaluation for phenotypic and horticultural traits, 55 of the 200 genotypes were selected for further study. Morphological and phenological traits of these 55 were evaluated for two consecutive years and 11 genotypes were selected as superior. These superior genotypes were moderate to late-leafing with high yield, lateral fruitfulness, thin shells, and light to extra light kernel color. Nut weight, kernel weight and kernel percentage of the 11 superior genotypes ranged between 12.6–15.9 g, 6.9–8.2 g, and 49.7–62.0%, respectively. These superior genotypes had high levels of protein (13.3–18.2%), oil (55.3–65.9%) and PUFAs content. Assessment of chilling requirement of these superior genotypes showed that eight (IrIlZg1, IrIlZg13, IrIlZg7, IrIlZg12, IrIlAa92, IrIlAa47, IrIlAa48 and IrIlAa27) had significantly lower chilling requirements than the cultivar ‘Chandler’. Although having low-chill requirements, these genotypes were moderate to late-leafing. This may be due to their high heat requirement, since chilling requirement together with heat accumulation determines the leafing and flowering date. In conclusion, the selected low chilling requirement genotypes having moderate to late leafing could be used in walnut breeding programs to release commercial cultivars which are suitable for areas with spring frost concerns and expected future loss of winter chill due to climate change.

Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences

Scientific Reports

Drought is an important environmental stress that has negative effects on plant growth leading to... more Drought is an important environmental stress that has negative effects on plant growth leading to a reduction in yield. In this study, the positive role of nanoparticles of SiO2, Se, and Se/SiO2(SiO2-NPs, Se-NPs and Se/SiO2-NPs) has been investigated in modulating negative effects of drought on the growth and yield of strawberry plants. Spraying of solutions containing nanoparticles of SiO2, Se, and Se/SiO2(50 and 100 mg L−1) improved the growth and yield parameters of strawberry plants grown under normal and drought stress conditions (30, 60, and 100%FC). Plants treated with Se/SiO2(100 mg L−1) preserved more of their photosynthetic pigments compared with other treated plants and presented higher levels of key osmolytes such as carbohydrate and proline. This treatment also increased relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI) and water use efficiency (WUE). In addition, exogenous spraying of Se/SiO2increased drought tolerance through increasing the activity of anti...

BIO Web of Conferences

As one of the main origin centers of nut trees, Iran is the fourth leading nut crops producer in ... more As one of the main origin centers of nut trees, Iran is the fourth leading nut crops producer in the world (6% of total nut production). Due to the high genetic diversity, development of new varieties and rootstocks with desirable characteristics have been highly considered by fruit breeders in Iran. In this regard, molecular breeders concentrate on filling the gaps in the conventional breeding with the aim of accelerating breeding programs. Recent advancements in molecular breeding such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, high-throughput genotyping platforms and genomics-based approaches including genome wide association studies (GWAS), and genomic selection (GS) have opened up new avenues to enhance the efficiency of nut trees breeding. Over the past decades, Iranian nut crops breeders have successfully used advanced molecular and genomic tools such as molecular markers, genetic transformations and high-throughput genotyping to explore the genetic basis of the desired ...

International Journal of Fruit Science

BMC Plant Biology

Background: Flower development and sufficient fruit set are important parameters with respect to ... more Background: Flower development and sufficient fruit set are important parameters with respect to walnut yield. Knowledge about flowering genes of fruit trees can help to conduct better molecular breeding programs. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the expression pattern of some flowering genes (FT, SOC1, CAL, LFY and TFL1) in Persian walnut (cv. Chandler) during the growing season and winter dormancy. Results: The results showed that walnut flower induction and initiation in Shahmirzad, Iran occurred in early June and late September, respectively. After meeting chilling and heat requirement, flower differentiation and anthesis occurred in late-March and mid-April to early-May, respectively. Study of flowering gene expression showed that the expression of the FT gene increased in three stages including before breaking of bud dormancy, from late March to late April (coincided with flower differentiation and anthesis) and from late May to mid-June (coincided with flower induction). Like FT, the expression of SOC1 gene increased during flower induction and initiation (mid-May to early-August) as well as flower anthesis (mid-April to early-May). LFY and CAL genes as floral meristem identity genes are activated by FT and SOC1 genes. In contrast with flowering stimulus genes, TFL1 showed overexpression during winter dormancy which prevented flowering. Conclusion: The expression of FT gene activated downstream floral meristem identity genes including SOC1, CAL and LFY which consequently led to release bud dormancy as well as flower anthesis and induction. Also, TFL1 as a flowering inhibitor gene in walnut showed overexpression during the bud dormancy. Chilling accumulation reduced TFL1 gene expression and increased the expression of flowering genes which ultimately led to overcome dormancy.

PLOS ONE

Due to higher temperatures and lower water availability, climate change is likely to have a major... more Due to higher temperatures and lower water availability, climate change is likely to have a major impact on walnut production in the near future. Climate change will alter the land suitability for walnut cultivation around the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions like Iran. Here, land suitability for the cultivation of walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Iran was determined using the GIS for present and future conditions (2020-2049) with an approach to climate change. Accordingly, data from 375 synoptic stations throughout Iran were gathered for climatic factors including average, minimum and maximum temperatures, relative humidity and chilling requirement. Also, ASTER sensors (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) and their data provided this research with cells that make a precision of 150 m (5 s), and the data were used for gauging geological parameters such as altitude and land slope. The electrical conductivity (EC) of soil and water were informed by the data bank of the Iranian Water Resources Management. The results of temperature simulations for the future (2020-2049) were analyzed by 21 AOGCM-AR5 models under the RCP4.5 emission scenario. In the first phase of evaluations, the maps of land suitability were constructed for present conditions by considering a network of the above-mentioned parameters. By combining these layers of information, the final map of land suitability was illustrated for walnut cultivation. In the second phase, the NEX-GDDP was used in order to determine land suitability for the future (2020-2049). The results showed that Iran currently has 582844 km 2 of land suitable for walnut cultivation. However, the future will see less suitable lands: the current area will be reduced by 6.19%, from 582844 km 2 to 546710 km 2. In general, the northern, northwestern and western margins of Iran are currently suitable for walnut cultivation. By approximation, these lands will also be major areas for prospective cultivations of walnut in the future (2020-2049), even though their current stretch will be reduced.

HortScience

Drought stress is one of the main constraints limiting worldwide crop production. Arbuscular myco... more Drought stress is one of the main constraints limiting worldwide crop production. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) such as Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillium lipofrum have been shown to alleviate drought stress effects. Therefore, the interaction effect of AM fungi [Glomus mosseae, G. etunicatum, and a mix of these (G. mix), and PGPB bacteria (Azotobacter chroococcum + Azospirillium lipofrum)] was investigated in 1-year-old walnut seedlings (cv. Chandler) under normal and drought stress conditions. Drought stress reduced growth (plant height, root length, number of leaves, and fresh weight) and leaf nutrient content (N, P, and Zn) significantly of walnut plants. In contrast, proline, total soluble sugar, starch peroxidase enzyme activity, and total phenolic content of walnut leaves increased under this stress. Application of fungi or bacteria, and especially their simultaneous use, alleviated the negative effects of drought stress on waln...

Notulae Scientia Biologicae

There are many constraints of space, light and availability of fruits to harvest in tomatoes gree... more There are many constraints of space, light and availability of fruits to harvest in tomatoes greenhouse. Therefore, two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of shoot pruning and flower thinning on quality and quantity of fruits of semi-determinate tomato in a greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Persian Gulf University of Bushehr. Experimental design was randomized complete block designs in which the effect of shoot pruning (single branch pruning, double branch pruning, pyramidal pruning and control) or flower thinning (Cluster with 4 and 5 remained flowers and control) were studied separately. Results showed that, leaf area and plants yield were higher in treatments which were pruned than control. Yields from pyramidal pruning and cluster thinning with 5 remaining flowers were significantly higher than other treatments. On the other hand, qualitative study identified that pyramidal pruning increases vitamin C in fruits, but had no signific...

HortScience

Plant genetic diversity is the fundamental of plant-breeding programs to improve desirable charac... more Plant genetic diversity is the fundamental of plant-breeding programs to improve desirable characteristics. Hence, evaluation of genetic diversity is the first step in fruit-breeding programs. Accordingly, the current study was carried out to evaluate 25 superior walnut genotypes in respect of phenotypic and cytological characteristics. For this purpose, 560 walnut genotypes in southwest of Iran were evaluated based on UPOV and International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) descriptor. After a 2-year primary evaluation, 25 superior genotypes were selected for future phenotypic and genome size assessment. Flow cytometry was used to estimate genome size of the selected superior genotypes. A high genetic diversity was found in walnut population collected from the southwest of Iran. The selected superior genotypes had high yield, lateral bearing, thin-shell thickness (0.90–1.64 mm), high nut (12.54–19.80 g) and kernel (7.02–9.91 g) weight with light (L) to extra light (EL) kern...

Notulae Scientia Biologicae

In many cases evaluation of chlorophyll and nitrogen content in plants need to destructive method... more In many cases evaluation of chlorophyll and nitrogen content in plants need to destructive methods, more time and organic solvents. Application of chlorophyll meters save time and resources. The aim of this study was estimating of chlorophyll and nitrogen content in Asian pear leaves using non-destructive method and rapid quantification of chlorophyll by chlorophyll content meter (CCM-200). This study was conducted on 8 years old Asian pear trees during June 2008 in Tehran, Iran. To develop our regression model, the chlorophyll meter data were correlated with extracted chlorophyll and nitrogen content data obtained from DMSO and Kejeldal methods, respectively. The results showed that, there was positive and linear correlation between CCM-200 data and chlorophyll a (R=0.7183), chlorophyll b (R=0.8523), total chlorophyll (R=0.90), and total nitrogen content (R=0.76) in Asian pear leaves. Thus, it can be concluded that, CCM-200 can be used in order to predict both chlorophyll and nitro...

Scientific reports, Jan 2, 2018

The main aim of the present investigation is modeling and optimization of a new culture medium fo... more The main aim of the present investigation is modeling and optimization of a new culture medium for in vitro rooting of G×N15 rootstock using an artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA). Six experiments for assessing different media culture, various concentrations of Indole - 3- butyric acid, different concentrations of Thiamine and Fe-EDDHA were designed. The effects of five ionic macronutrients (NH, NO, Ca, K and Cl) on five growth parameters [root number (RN), root length (RL), root percentage (R%), fresh (FW) and dry weight (DW)] were evaluated using the ANN-GA method. The R correlation values of 0.88, 0.88, 0.98, 0.94 and 0.87 between observed and predicted values were acquired for all five growth parameters, respectively. The ANN-GA results indicated that among the input variables, K (7.6) and NH4 (4.4), K (7.7) and Ca (2.8), K (36.7) and NH (4.3), K (14.7) and NH (4.4) and K (7.6) and NH (4.3) had the highest values of variable sensitivity ratio (VSR) in the data s...

Seed and seedling traits are affected by the conditions of the maternal environment, such as ligh... more Seed and seedling traits are affected by the conditions of the maternal environment, such as light, temperature and nutrient availability. In this study, we have investigated whether different maternally applied nitrate and phosphate concentrations affect the seed and seedling performance of two tomato genotypes: Solanum lycopersicum cv. Money maker and Solanum pimpinellifolium accession CGN14498. We observed large differences for seed and seedling traits between the two genotypes. Additionally, we have shown that for nitrate most of the seed and seedling traits were significantly affected by genotype by environment interactions (G×E). The effect of the maternal environment was clearly visible in the primary metabolites of the dry seeds. For example, we could show that the amount of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in Money maker seeds was affected by the differences in the maternal environments and was positively correlated with seed germination under high temperature. Overall, compared ...