In order to study the effects of applying the micronutrients zinc, manganese, and boron, and to compare the effects that incorporating them in the soil and spraying them on the crop on seed oil and protein contents and percentages, a study was conducted based on the factorial design with the two factors of incorporating these micronutrients in the soil and spraying them on the crop, in 16 treatments and four replications (a total of 64 trials), in 2009-2010 in Dasht-e-Naz in Sari of northern Iran. The treatments were as follows: T1=control, T2=Znf, T3=Mnf, T4=Bf, T5=Zns, T6=Zns+Bf, T7=Zns+Mnf, T8=Zns+Znf, T9=Mns, T10=Mns+Bf, T11=Mns+Mnf, T12=Mns+Znf, T13=Bs, T14=Bs+Bf, T15=Bs+Mns, T16=Bs+Znf. Results obtained showed that the highest seed oil percentage (25.03%) was achieved by spraying zinc on the crop, and that the biggest seed oil yield (359.31 Kg.h) was obtained by applying manganese to the soil. Results of the comparison of the means indicated that the highest seed protein content (36.12%) was achieved by spraying boron on the crop, and the greatest seed protein yield (545.54 Kg.h) was obtained when manganese was added to the soil. These results also showed that the largest number of total pods per plant (71.05), and the biggest seed yield (152.9 g.m -2 ) were achieved by applying manganese to the soil. In the comparison of the interaction effects of the data, it was also shown that, although the highest seed oil percentage belonged to the spraying of zinc on the crop, yet the greatest seed yield among all the treatments (170.7 g.m -2 ) was that of the treatment of adding manganese to the soil plus spraying zinc on the crop, in which the greatest number of pods per plant (77.87) and the highest seed protein yield (631.1 Kg.h) and the highest seed oil yield (284.5 Kg.h) were obtained.

In order to study the effects of applying the micronutrients zinc, boron, and manganese (which are added to the soil and sprayed on the crop) on the absorption of the macro- and micronutrients in soybean seeds, an experiment was carried out using the factorial design with the two factors of adding the micronutrients zinc, manganese, and boron to the soil and spraying them on the crop, with 16 treatments and four replications (a total of 64 trials). On the basis of the soil test which had been conducted, the required amounts of the micronutrients (40, 30, and 10 Kg.h of zinc sulphate, manganese sulphate, and boric acid, respectively) were added to the soil before seeding. In the spray treatments, zinc and manganese (0.30 %) and boron (0.20 %) were sprayed on the crop at the start of stem elongation a d at flower bud formation. Results of the comparison of the means showed that the highest concentration of nitrogen (6.65 %) and phosphorous (0.18 %) in the seeds were obtained when zinc was sprayed on the crop, the highest potassium concentration in the seeds (0.92 %) was achieved when manganese was added to the soil, and the highest zinc concentration in the seeds (52.5 ppm) was observed when zinc was applied to the soil. These results also indicated that, among the treatments of spraying the micronutrients on the crop, the highest manganese concentration in the seeds (24.77 ppm) was obtained when manganese was sprayed on the crop, that the highest boron concentration in the seeds(46.58 ppm) was achieved when boron was added to the soil (and that this boron treatment had a statistically significant difference with the others). Comparison of the interaction effects of the data showed that the highest seed nitrogen concentration (6.72 %) was observed when zinc was sprayed on the crop, that the highest seed phosphorous concentration (0.22 %) was obtained when boron was added to the soil, that the highest seed potassium concentrations (0.93 % and 0.94 %) were achieved when zinc and manganese were sprayed on the crop, respectively, that the highest seed zinc concentrations were observed by adding manganese to the soil plus spraying zinc on the crop (55.33 ppm) and by adding zinc to the soil plus spraying zinc on the crop(55 ppm), that the highest seed manganese concentration (23.67 ppm) was obtained by adding zinc to the soil plus spraying manganese on the crop or by adding manganese to the soil plus spraying boron on the crop, and, finally, that the highest seed boron concentrations (44 and 41.67 ppm) were achieved by spraying boron on the crop and by adding manganese to the soil plus spraying boron on the crop, respectively.

In order to study the effects of the application of various amounts of nitrogen fertilizers and Pix 35% growth regulator on the morphological features of the Sahel cultivar of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and on the unginned cotton yield of this cultivar, an experiment was carried out in the factorial design in the randomized complete block format with three replications at the Bayekola Agronomical Research Station in 2009. The factors studied included the amounts of nitrogen fertilizers and of the cotton growth regulator Pix 35% used in the experiment. Results obtained showed that the minimum plant height was obtained in the control treatment (72.93 cm), and that plant height increased with nitrogen application and reached its maximum (77.59 cm) when 225 Kg.h of nitrogen was used. The analysis of the variance of the data indicated that the effects of applying various levels of Pix were very significantly different, so that the greatest plant height was observed in the Pix control treatment (90.94 cm), and it significantly decreased by Pix application and reached 65 cm when 300 g.h of Pix was applied (which was an almost 40% reduction). Furthermore, when nitrogen fertilizers were applied, the unginned cotton yield significantly went up, and this increase in yield continued up to the level of using 150 Kg. h nitrogen; however, when the level of nitrogen application reached 225 Kg.h, the yield started to go down. As a whole, the lowest yield was obtained when nitrogen was not applied (which was the control with a yield of 1469 Kg of unginned cotton per hectare), and the maximum yield (2825 Kg.h of unginned cotton per hectare) was achieved when 150 Kg of nitrogen per hectare was used _ i.e., the unginned cotton yield went up by 14% when 150 Kg of nitrogen per hectare was applied. In our study, it was observed that Pix did not have much influence on increasing yield: the minimum yield (2529 Kg of unginned cotton per hectare) was observed in the treatment of applying 100 g. h of Pix, and the maximum yield (2669 Kg of unginned cotton per hectare) by using 200 gh of Pix. Comparison of the interaction effects of the level of Pix and nitrogen application indicated that, among all the treatments, the maximum yield of unginned cotton (3010 K.h) was achieved when 150 Kg. h of nitrogen and 200 g.h Pix were applied. These results also showed that in the treatments of using 150 Kg nitrogen per hectare, and applying 150 Kg. nitrogen plus 300 g Pix per hectare also, high yield potentials (close to 3 tons per hectare) were created. The minimum yield of unginned cotton (2230 Kg.h) belonged to the treatment of using 200 grams of Pix per hectare.

Improper utilization of ranges and their destruction have always constituted a major concern of policymakers and planners of the natural resource sector in Iran. In this article, an attempt has been made to use the aggregate index of productivity of factors of production and to present a suitable econometric model for determining the economically correct size of range management projects in the ranges of the province of Mazandaran and to specify factors influencing this size. In this study, the economically suitable size of pasture units was estimated to be 165 hectares, which is much smaller than the size of rangeland turned over to those engaged in range management in the province of Mazandaran. Moreover, results obtained showed that the number of livestock kept in ranges exceeds the economically desirable number. In other words, the suitable balance is not maintained between the size of the range and the number of Livestock kept on it. For this very reason an increase in the size of the range unit managed by each range manager and a reduction in the number of livestock kept on it constitute effective measures in increasing the productivity of ranges and in preventing farther destruction of rangeland, and it is recommended that. These measures are carried out meticulously.