A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the interactive effects of microbial inoculants on uptake of nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn) in two cultivars of sunflower. The trials were carried out on saline (EC = 7.6 dS m-1) calcareous soils taken from Eshtehard (Karaj) region of Iran. In a factorial trial and completely randomized design (CRD), three levels of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculants (non inoculation, inoculation withGlomus etunicatum and Glomus intradices) and four levels of Pseudomonas fluorescensinoculants (non inoculation and inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens strains 4, 9, 12) in two cultivars of sunflower with four replications per treatments were applied. Results revealed that all of the treatments increased the N uptake in Euroflor cultivar. Moreover, in Euroflor cultivar, inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens strains 9 and co-inoculation of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains 4 and Glomus intradices made a significant different in phosphorous uptake, while did not make any significant change in the Master cultivar. However, bacterial and fungal treatments significantly (P < 0.05) increased uptake of micro nutrients such as Fe, Zn and Mn.

The use of drought-tolerant rootstocks is one of the available solutions for the cultivation of pear in semi-arid areas. In order to achieve drought-tolerant rootstocks, seeds of Pyrus syriaca, and Pyrus salicifolia species as well as Pyrus communis cv. Spadona, Khoj no. 1 and Khoj no. 2 were cultivated in the field conditions. This research was carried out as a factorial experiment with two factors of pear species (in five levels) and water stress (in two levels of control and drought stress) based on a randomized complete block design. In drought treatment, the irrigation time was considered based on 80% of allowed water depletion. In control blocks, normal irrigation was performed. The experiment began in July and continued to late September. In stress conditions, P. communis cv. Spadona and Khoj no. 1 had the highest seedling height and stem diameter and P. salicifolia and P. communis cv. Khoj no. 2 had the lowest of the rate of these traits. The lowest increase in electrolyte leakage (EL) and the highest proline content were in P. communis cv. Khoj no. 2 and P. salicifolia and the highest EL and the lowest proline were observed in P. communis cv. Spadonain under drought stress conditions. The most and the least relative water content (RWC) were belonged to P. communis cv. Khoj no. 2 and Spadona, respectively, in stress conditions. According to the studied traits, P. salicifolia and P. communis cv. Khoj no. 2 populations were more tolerant to drought stress.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract