The effect of different fertilizing systems on the seed yield and phosphorus uptake in annual medic (Medicago scutellata cv. Robinson) was examined at two locations under dry farming conditions in Kermanshah province, Iran, in 2009. Experiments were conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications; the treatments consisted of control (no fertilizer), chemical fertilizer, biological fertilizer and different combinations of chemical and biological fertilizing systems. The results showed that application of different fertilizing systems had a highly significant effect on the number of pods per plant. The highest values were obtained in the treatment using the urea chemical fertilizer + phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria + mycorrhiza. The highest soil seed bank was recorded in the nitrogen-fixing bacteria + phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria treatment; it increased the number of seeds by approximately 50 percent compared to the control (only 134 pod containing seeds). The highest pod yield was obtained after applying nitrogen-fixing bacteria + mycorrhiza (445 kg/ha), the lowest yield in the control treatment (266 kg/ha). In general, under the conditions of this experiment, the seed yield of annual medic var. Robinson receiving nitrogen-fixing + phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria out-yielded other fertilizing treatments. This indicates a synergistic interaction between these groups of bacteria that increases seed yield, the soil seed bank as well as the seed phosphorus uptake of this plant species under dry farming conditions.

To evaluate the effect of different fertilizer types on the vegetative growth characteristics, yield and forage quality of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum), the present experiment was conducted in Mahidasht Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Station (Kermanshah, Iran), during 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. The experimental treatments consisted of control (no fertilizer), chemical fertilizer, biological fertilizer and different combinations of chemical and biological fertilizing systems. A complete randomized block design with three replicates was employed for analysis of the data for each year. A combined analysis of variance was conducted to compare the data from the two years of the experiment. The results showed that the highest forage yield (172.1 g/m2) was produced in integrated fertilizer application (urea chemical fertilizer + mycorrhiza treatment). The highest crude protein content of 25% was obtained from integrated biological fertilizer treatment (nitrogen-fixing bacteria + phosphorussolubilizing bacteria treatment). The superiority of integrated fertilizer application for higher forage production and biological fertilizer application for higher forage quality in berseem clover could be recommended by the results of this experiment. Application of integrated fertilizing treatments not only optimized the chemical fertilizer application (consequently reducing the environmental pollutions), but it also enhanced forage quality in terms of higher macro a micronutrients concentrations. According to the results of this study it could be concluded that integrated fertilizing treatments may be accounted more efficient in dry farming than in irrigated agroecosystems.

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of different fertilizing and farming systems in annual medic (Medicago scutellata 'Robinson') on soil organic matter and nutrients status. Fertilizing systems consisted of control (no fertilizer), chemical fertilizer, biological fertilizer and integrated fertilizers (different combinations of chemical and biological fertilizing systems). The farming systems included irrigated and dry-farming systems. The experiment was conducted in two experimental sites with diverse climatic and soil conditions in Kermanshah province, Iran, during 2009 growing season. The highest amount of soil organic matter of 1.28 % was observed in integrated fertilizing system of nitrogen-fixing bacteria + phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria. Most of the nitrogen applied through chemical fertilizers was leached out of the plant access, however, application of integrated fertilizer resulted in increasing the concentration of nitrogen in soil because of its slow release and efficient utilization by plants. According to the results of this study it was concluded that the integrated fertilizing system was more successful in dry farming compared to other fertilizing systems.

ABSTRACT. This study was carried out to determine the effect of different nutritional systems (chemical, biological and integrated) on germination and seedling growth in medicinal pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.). The statistical design was a randomized complete block design with four replications. Four levels of different fertilizing systems including chemical (T1), biological (a combination of nitrogen bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense and Glomus mosseae) (T2) and integrated fertilizing systems (biological fertilizer + 50% chemical fertilizer) (T3), and control (without fertilizer) (T0), were employed. The results indicated that the maximum seed germination was 95% and the highest seed germination rate with 30.4 per day was observed in the intergraded nutritional treatment. The experimental results showed that all nutritional treatments had positive effects on seed germination compared to control. The highest level of germination percentage with 95% and the highest rate of germination with 30.4 seeds per day were obtained in integrated nutritional treatment. However, the integrated nutritional system required more time to demonstrate its positive effect on the growth and yield of medicinal pumpkin compared to chemical system. The results of present experiment indicated that integrated nutritional treatment had the greatest positive impact on germination characteristics in medicinal pumpkin. Designing and developing such nutritional systems can guarantee and facilitate the achievement of long-term objectives of sustainable agriculture.

To evaluate the effect of head pruning and different nutritional systems (chemical, biological and integrated) on yield and seed oil content in medicinal pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.), an experiment was conducted in Kermanshah/Iran during the 2013 growing season. The experimental treatments consisted of two levels - no head pruning, control (Co) and head pruning (C1) allocated to the main plots. Four levels of different fertilizing systems - control (without fertilizer) (T0), chemical (T1), biological (a combination of nitrogen fixing bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense and Glomus mosseae) (T2), and integrated fertilizing system (biological fertilizer + 50% chemical fertilizer) (T3) were assigned to the sub-plots. The experimental treatments were arranged as a split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the highest percentage of seed oil was obtained (37%) in the integrated nutritional system along with the head pruning treatment. The highest grain yields of 53 and 50 g per square meter were obtained in integrated and chemical fertilizing systems, respectively while no pruning was applied. The highest fruit yields of 3,710 and 3,668 kg per hectare were produced by chemical and integrated fertilizing systems, respectively. The biological nutrition system required more time to demonstrate its positive effect on the growth and yield of medicinal pumpkin.