Kazem Kamali Aliabad

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is commercially propagated using the rootstock and scion system. Different rootstocks have various effects on the characteristics of the apple varieties. Drought stress is an important environmental stress that impacts crop growth and physiology. This study aimed to optimize the micropropagation and rooting medium of four commercially important apple rootstocks including ‘MM.106’, ‘MM.111’, and ‘Golab Semirom’ apple varieties and the ‘Esfahan’ quince cultivar, as well as to investigate their morpho-physiological response to induced drought stress. Modified MS medium containing N⁶-benzyladenine (BA) at the concentration of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 mg/L was used for micropropagation. The highest proliferation rate for all rootstocks was observed at 1 mg/L BA. Rooting was carried out in modified 1/2MS and LS medium containing 0, 1, 2 and 3 mg/L of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The best rooting rate of ‘MM.106’ was observed in LS containing 1 mg/L of IBA, and for ‘MM.111’ in 1/2MS medium containing of 3 mg/L of IBA. Rooted seedlings were transferred to soilless medium and drought stress was induced by irrigation water volume at four levels including control, mild, moderate and severe stress. Measured morpho-physiological indices showed that the best morphological performance and the highest amount of chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents were seen in the control treatment, while the highest proline content was seen under severe stress. In general, ‘MM.111’ and ‘MM.106’ rootstocks can be recommended for cultivation under moderate and severe drought stress conditions, respectively.

Biotechnological approaches, for instance, plant tissue culture, can be used to improve and accelerate the reproduction of plants. A single portion of a plant can produce many plants throughout the year in a relatively short period of laboratory conditions. Monitoring and recording plant morphological characteristics such as root length and shoot length in different conditions and stages are necessary for tissue culture. These features were measured using graph paper in a laboratory environment and sterile conditions. This research investigated the ability to use image processing techniques in determining the morphological features of plants obtained from tissue culture. In this context RGB images were prepared from the plants inside the glass, and different pixel-based and object-based classification methods were applied to an image as a control. The accuracy of these methods was evaluated using the kappa coefficient, and overall accuracy was obtained from Boolean logic. The results showed that among pixel-based classification methods, the maximum likelihood method with a kappa coefficient of 87% and overall accuracy of 89.4 was the most accurate, and the Spectral angle mapper method (SAM) method with a kappa coefficient of 58% and overall accuracy of 54.6 was the least accurate. Also, among object-based classification methods, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naïve Bayes, and K-nearest neighbors algorithm (KNN) techniques, with a Kappa coefficient of 88% and overall accuracy of 90, can effectively distinguish the cultivation environment, plant, and root. Comparing the values of root length and shoot length estimated in the laboratory culture environment with the values obtained from image processing showed that the use of the SVM image classification method, which is capable of estimating root length and shoot length with RMSE 2.4, MAD 3.01 and R2 0.97, matches the results of manual measurements with even higher accuracy.

Plant tissue culture is one of the methods of plant propagation. Production costs in this method are relatively high. These costs include items such as the cost of culture vessels. This research aimed to investigate the replacement of new containers made of Cast Polypropylene (CPP) plastics instead of glass. For this study Petunia plant was selected as a model plant. In the first, all plants were disinfected. Then they were cultured in MS medium containing different amounts of 0, 0.5, 0.8, and 1 mg / l BAP which were made in different cultures of jam glasses, Test tubes, and CPP plastics containers. After establishment and proliferation stages, plants were transferred to a rooting medium supplemented by different concentrations of IBA and after 30 days, growth different factors were measured. The highest number and length of shoots and the highest number of leaves were obtained in 0.8 mg/l BAP culture medium in CPP plastic containers and the lowest amount was in a test tube culture media. The effect of regulator amount and container type in the rooting stage was not significant.

The article Indirect somatic embryogenesis of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench): a medicinal‑ornamental plant: evaluation of antioxi

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is one of the most popular fruits which is rich in nutrients and varied in cultivars including Hybrid, Wonderful (a sweet and delicious fruit with big size), and Seedless (sweet taste and very juicy). In this research, micropropagation of hybrid pomegranate cultivar (Wonderful and Seedless) was investigated. For the primary culture, the lateral and apical buds of pomegranate plant were used, and the plant materials were disinfected by Mercuric Chloride in the presence of Ascorbic Acid. Then disinfected explants cultivated to MS culture medium supplemented by 0.2 mg l⁻¹ BAP and IBA 0.01 mgl ⁻¹ as an initial culture medium. For elongation and proliferation, BAP at five levels of 0, 0.2, 0.8, 1.4, and 2 mgl ⁻¹, and IBA at two levels of 0 and 0.01 mgl⁻¹ were used in woody plant medium (WPM). To determine the most suitable rooting medium, IBA was used at concentrations of 0, 0.5, and 1 mgl⁻¹ in different culture media containg MS, WPM, and DKW. Different soil compositions were also used for the adaptation of plantlets. The results showed that the best concentration for Mercuric Chloride disinfectant was 0.1% and all the disinfection treatment times were appropriate. Moreover, woody plant medium with 1.4 mg l⁻¹ of BAP without IBA was the best culture medium for proliferation. In rooting stage, using woody plant medium was detected as the most suitable too. In the adaptation stage, using Vermicompost, Perlite, and Cocopeat (1: 1: 1) was observed to be the best treatment.

Background: Phosalone is an organophosphate insecticide, applied to control of plant pests. This compound has various side effects because it acts as an acetyl cholinesterase enzyme inhibitor. Objective: To investigate the effects of phosalone on the sperm parameters of and levels of sex hormones in adult male rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 16 adult (8-12 wk) male Wister rates (weighing 220-280 gr) were randomly assigned into 4 groups (n = 4/each). Group 1 (control) received only routine adequate water and food; Group 2, 3, and 4 received different low doses of phosalone (60, 90, and 120 mg/kg respectively). The rats were weighed and anesthetized after 48 days. Sperm parameters including number, motility, and viability as well as sex hormones (such as Luteinizing Hormone, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, and testosterone) were evaluated and compared after removing the epididymis tail. Results: Our results showed that phosalone decreased sperm motility, viability, and number in a dose-dependent manner. The level of FSH and LH was increased, and testosterone was decreased. Also, depending on the dose, phosalone decrease sperm motility and viability (p ≤ 0.001), while the level of FSH and LH was increased and testosterone was decreased (p = 0.861). Conclusion: Phosalone has negative effects on reproductive indices in male rats and can cause serious damage and decrease the number and sperms motility. It can also cause infertility due to changing the concentration of hormones. Key words: Organophosphate, Pesticides, Phosalone, Sperm, Sex hormones.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench) is a widely used medicinal and ornamental plant. In the present study, the callus embryogenesis was examined using benzyl adenine (BA) at three levels (3, 4, 5 mg L⁻¹), 1-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) at three levels (0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 mg L⁻¹) with or without activated charcoal (1 g L⁻¹), coconut milk (50 ml L⁻¹) and casein hydrolysate (50 mg L⁻¹) in the MS (Murashige and Skoog 1962) medium. The embryogenesis indirectly occurred with the production of callus. The calli were observed in three forms: undifferentiated, embryogenic and organogenic. The embryogenic calli were dark green and coherent with a faster growth rate. The highest embryogenesis (100%) and embryonic regeneration (plantlet production) were obtained in the combined BA + NAA treatments with the activated charcoal, coconut milk and casein hydrolysate. However, the combined treatments of growth regulators failed to produce somatic embryos without the use of coconut milk and casein hydrolysate. The maximum amount of protein, peroxidase and catalase activity of embryogenic calli (2.02, 1.79 and 6.62ΔOD/Min/mg.protein, respectively), and highest percentage of acclimatization success (29.3% of plants) were obtained in the combined treatment of 5 mg L⁻¹ BA + 0.5 mg L⁻¹ NAA + activated charcoal + coconut milk + casein hydrolysate. The highest amount of chlorophyll content (33.3 SPAD value) and growth characteristics of acclimatized plantlets were observed in the media containing 3 mg L⁻¹ BA + 0.1 and 0.2 mg L⁻¹ NAA + 1 g. L⁻¹ combined activated charcoal, coconut milk, casein hydrolysate. The histological studies confirmed the somatic embryogenesis in purple coneflower. Generally, it was found that the somatic embryogenesis of E. purpurea occurs at high levels of BA and low levels of NAA with the addition of coconut milk and casein hydrolysate.