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In this study, the effect of some soil parameters on the life forms and total aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in meadow rangelands in Fandoghlou region of Namin county in Ardabil Province were investigated. ANPP in 180 plots of 12 by harvesting and weighting method were measured. Eighteen soil samples were collected along transects. Some physical and chemical attributes of the soil were measured by standard methods. The relationship between these parameters and ANPP was performed using multivariate regression (enter) method. To determine the effects of important soil parameters on ANPP variation, principal component analysis (PCA) was used. The results of regression analysis showed that electrical conductivity (EC), magnesium (Mg), spreadable clay (WDC), volumetric moisture content (VM), organic carbon (OC), soluble potassium (KS), exchangeable potassium (Kexch), sodium (Na) and phosphorus (P) were the effective parameters on the life forms and total ANPP (p<0.01). The accuracy of obtained equations for grasses, forbs and total ANPP were calculated 79, 76 and 70%, respectively. Moreover, results of PCA showed that soil parameters justify 84.52 percent of total ANPP variation and in comparison, with regression results with 28% it provides better results.

Today’s world faces two major crises including environmental pollution due to fossil fuels and the reduction of these fuels, so energy supply through renewable energies has been considered a sustainable solution. The purpose of this study was to assess factors affecting the tendency to use biofuels among villagers. Heads of households in rural areas in Chavarzagh district, Tarom township, Zanjan province formed the statistical population of the study (N=2742). The sample size was estimated using the Cochrane formula (n=161) and samples were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling method. The descriptive and correlational research method was used in this study. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by a panel of related faculty members. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to confirm the reliability of the questionnaire (0.70-0.83). Data was analyzed using SPSS 21. Regression analysis showed that risk, attitudes towards biofuels, self-efficacy, training, eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels and encouraging the use of biofuels, increasing public awareness about the benefits of biofuels and perceived barriers explained 40.6 percent of the variation of villagers’ tendency to use biofuels.

The higher levels of essential elements in soil may be caused in optimum yields and crop quality. So it seems to be necessary to examine different levels of nutrients like Fe and Zn on plants and their productivity. To evaluate effects of iron and zinc application on yield and yield components of Pimpinella anisum an experiment was conducted at the research farm of Urmia University in 2009. Treatments, iron application (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%) and zinc (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%), were arranged as factorial based on randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Results showed the significant effect of interaction between iron and zinc on the number of seed in per plant,1000 seed weight, biomass yield, seed yield and harvest index (HI). The maximum value of the 1000 seed weight (2.22 g) was obtained from 0% of Fe and 0.2% of Zn, whereas the minimum value of the 1000 seed weight (1.92 g) belonged to 2% of iron and 0% of zinc. The highest number of seed per plant (762), maximum value of biomass yield (2652 kg/ha) and highest of seed yield (1372 kg/ha) were obtained from 0.6 and 0.4 percent of Fe and Zn and the lowest number of seed per plant (272), maximum value of biomass yield (716 kg/ha) and highest of seed yield (470 kg/ha) were obtained from 0 and 0.6 percent of Fe and Zn, respectively. The highest HI (66.18) was obtained at control treatment and the lowest one (46.67) at both 0.4 percent of Fe and Zn. The essential oil percent increase in average values of Fe and Zn spraying. But accumulation of Fe and Zn were the maximum in higher levels of spraying.

Abstract Background & Objective: Agriculture is one of the most important activities, whereas observing ethical dimensions (human, environment, animals, society, economy and policy) are necessary. Therefore the purpose of this study was develop strategies to apply ethics in agricultural in Sonqor County. Materials &Methods: This study is a Qual-Quan research. The study population consisted of experts and farmers producing healthy products in the city of Sonqor (n = 32) who were selected purposefully. Results: Based on results, comprehensive government attention to Agricultural ethic and financial, technical, and legal support from the farm food to the table ( ) as a first strategy and evelopment of good agricultural production for all products, regional, national, international contracts and agreements in order to meet the needs of healthy consumer markets ( ) as a second important strategy was recognized which both of them are among the aggressive strategies. Also result showed that considering ethical actions towards development of sustainable agricultural, allocation of annual budgets, leading agricultural education to ethical agriculture (WO) are the most important conservative startegies. Conclusion: in the current situation in study the, aggressive strategies should be prioritized. This means that with considering the factors affecting the non-observance of ethics in agriculture, instutational development in this area, amend the rules, guidelines and most important social institutions and ethicl norms in the community of farmers need to be addressed in this county. In this regard the approach of farmers and related organizations should be changed toward appliying manifest of ethic in agriculture.

Background and Objective: In this study, effects of residue management, irrigation methods, tillage systems and planting methods on some important aspects of common wheat-maize rotation in Khuzestan province was investigated. Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted as strip-block split factorial on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Residue management considered as main plots, irrigation methods as subplots and factorial combination of tillage systems and planting methods as sub subplots. Results: Retaining residue on surface in flood and drip tape irrigation systems increased maize harvested about 0.4 and 0.18 kg per each m3 of applied water, respectively. In conservation tillage practices, reduced tillage and no-tillage with residue on surface had no significant effects on wheat and maize yields compared to conventional tillage, but improved water use efficiency, energy productivity and economic indices. The highest benefit to cost ratio (BCR) was obtained as 1.72 from drip tape irrigation-with total residue-conventional tillage- ridge bed planting treatment. The lowest input energy (76635 MJ.ha-1) and the highest energy productivity (0.210 kg.MJ-1) was belonged to drip tape irrigation-with total residue-no tillage- ridge bed planting treatment, Also BCR in this conservation system was obtained 1.62. Conclusion: Moving towards adoption of agricultural conservation techniques such as retain residue, reduce tillage, planting on permanent ridge bed and use high efficiency irrigation methods would result in a sustainable production. According to the results of this research, the use of conservation tillage systems are recommended.

Introduction:Vinasse is a byproduct of the sugar industry. Sugarcane or Sugarbeet is processed to produce crystallinesugar, pulp and molasses. The latter isfurther processed by fermentation to ethanol, ascorbicacid or other products. After the removal of the desired product (alcohol, ascorbicacid, etc.) the remaining material is called vinasse. Vinasse is sold after a partial dehydration and usually has a viscositycomparable to molasses. Commercially offered vinasse comes either from sugarcaneand is called cane-vinasse or from sugarbeet and is called beet-vinasse. On average, for each liter of vinasse, 12 liters alcohol produced. Vinasse is a material with dark brown color and the smell of burned sugar, which is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and nitrogen. Materials and Methods:To determine the effect of vinasse and additive nitrogen and phosphorus on growth and yield of tomato, a factorial pot experiment was conducted at ZanjanUniversity in 2008. Two different plant nutrient including N and P and their combination (N+P) were added to vinasse with three different concentrations to form experimental treatments. In addition to these treatments, three control treatments with vinasse of different concentrations, but with no additive were also included in the experiment. Each treatment used with two different application methods (soil application and soil + foliar application).The experiment had 24 treatments, a complete randomized design and three replications. The vinasse used in this experiment was diluted with water 10, 20 and 40 times to make a nutrient solution of three different concentrations of tomato plant. The amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus that were added to vinasse were 224 and 62 mg/l, respectively. Phosphorus and nitrogen were applied to as super-phosphate triple and calcium nitrate and ammonium nitrate respectively. After being deployed to ensure complete installation of tomatoes in pots containing perlite (about 2 weeks after the transfer of seedlings tothe pots) treatments wereapplied to the pots. It should be noted that initially, three tomato seedlingswere planted in each pot at later stage after the plants were thinned to one plant per pot.Five months later after planting seedlings, fruits were picked and measured separately. At the end of the growth period, fruit yield, leaf and some quality characteristicsof fruit were measured. Results Discussion: The results showed that the effects of vinasse concentrations on fruit yield, dry matter content of fruit, dry weight of root and plant height were significant at p

This paper evaluates the threshold effect of income on carbon dioxide emissions intensity in the MENA countries using panel smooth transition regression model. For this purpose, the variables of financial development, openness, energy intensity, income per capital and carbon dioxide emissions intensity over the period 1980 to 2011 are employed. While the results strongly indicated the existence of a nonlinear relationship, considering one transition function and two threshold parameters is sufficient to specification of nonlinear relationship among variables. The empirical results show that the slope parameter in which the speed of adjustment represent from one regime to another one is estimated equivalent of 78762, and two threshold parameters estimated 1176 $ and 11614 $ based on income per capita respectively. The variables of openness and income per capital lead to reduce carbon dioxide emissions intensity in both regimes in which the impact of income per capital in first regime and openness in second regime is greater than another regime. Although, financial development leads to slight increase in carbon dioxide emissions intensity in the first regime, but in the second regime leads to decreases it.

Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is the third common malignancy in the world. Personal habits including life style and nutrition have been proposed as risk factors of colorectal cancer. We conducted this study to assess the nutritional characteristics in colorectal cancer patients in Golestan province of Iran. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was done on 47 colorectal cancer cases, diagnosed during 2004-05 and 47 healthy controls. A questionnaire containing socio-demographic and nutritional characteristics (FFQ) was filled for each of the participants. Chi square test was used to assess the relationship between variables. Results: In each of the two groups, 40.4% were females and 59.6% were males. The mean±SD age of age in cases and controls were 52.4±13.4 and 52.1±13.1 years, respectively. Total energy expenditure of higher than 1837.5 Kcal/ day was significantly related to colorectal cancer (OR=3.8 95% CI: 1.2-11.3). Colorectal cancer risk was higher in individual with frying cooking method (OR=3 95% CI: 0. 8-11.1). The risk of colorectal cancer was 6.5 times higher in individuals with fat consumption of higher than 118.5 grams/day (95% CI: 1.5-28.8). No significant relationship was seen between vegetables consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer. Conclusion: This study showed that high total energy expenditure, high fat consumption and using frying method for cooking are risk factors of colorectal cancer in Golestan prevince in Nothern of Iran.

Pinus brutiais one of the most important species respect to low ecological needs and tolerance against winter drought and summer heat. This species is used in degraded ecosystems and dry and semidry shrub lands in Iran. It is an important species for urban green space as well. This experiment was performed as complete randomized and factorial design with three treatments, sowing date (autumn and winter), irrigation periods (every 2 and 4 days) and weed mechanical control (every 7 and 14 days) with four replications and 15 vases (per replications) in Zaghe nursery in Khorramabad city. At the end of the first growing season, measurements included biomass and vitality rate. Results showed that the effect of treatments on amount of biomass was significant. The maximum of biomass was showed in winter sowing, every 2-days irrigation and every 7-days weeding. Effect of irrigation on shoot/root ratio was significant and maximum rate concluded in every 4-days irrigation but conversely effect of sowing date and weed control and composition of treatments were not significant. Effect of treatments including, sowing date, weed control and composition of treatments on vitality rate were significant. Maximum vitality achieved at autumn sowing with every 2-days irrigation and 7-days weeding. Based on the results, for decreasing of nursery costs, the duration of irrigation can be extended and winter sowing can be replaced by autumn.

Introduction: The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that future emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) will continue to increase and cause climatic change (16). These conditions are also true for Iran. The three greenhouse gases associated with agriculture are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). The three GHGs associated with agriculture CO2, CH4, and N2O differ in their effectiveness in trapping heat and in their turnover rates in the atmosphere. This environmental change will have serious impacts on different growth and development processes of crops. Increasing temperature could affect physiological processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and partitioning of photoassimilates. Farmers are not able to change or manage the climatic conditions, but some factors such as soil, water, seed and agricultural practices can be managed to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change (32). Mitigation and adaptation are two known ways for reducing the negative impacts of climate change. Mitigation strategies are associated with decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through management practices such as reducing chemical fertilizer application, mechanization, increasing carbon storage in agroecosystems, planting biofuel crops and moving towards organic farming (42), etc. Material and Methods: This study was carried out at the experimental field of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2011 and was repeated in 2012. The Research Station (36°16´N, 59°36´E) is located at about 985 m a.s.l. Average temperature and precipitation rate of the research station in two years are shown in Figure. 1. The three-factor experiment was set up in a strip-split-plot arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experimental treatments were tillage systems (conventional and reduced tillage) and residual management (remaining and leaving of maize residual) assigned to main plots and different levels of N fertilizer (0, 150, 300 and 450 kg urea ha-1) was randomized as a subplot in tillage treatment. The seedbed preparation was made based on common practices at the location. Plot size under the trial was 4 m × 3 m so as to get 70 cm inter row spacing. Maize seeds (single-cross 704 cultivar) were hand sown in May for two years. The ideal density of the crops was considered as spacing 20 cm inter plant. As soon as the seeds were sown, irrigation continued every 10 days. No herbicides or chemical fertilizers were applied during the course of the trials and weeding was done manually when necessary. Measurement of CO2 emissions was performed by the closed chamber method. For this purpose, PVC plastic rings (20 cm in diameter and 30 cm height) were scattered on each of the plots. The chambers were placed in soil for two hours and the gathered air was collected by 10 ml vacuum syringe. Then, the samples were transferred to the laboratory and CO2 was measured using GC-mass. Results and Discussion: The results showed that CO2 emissions for conventional tillage was about 15 and 10% higher than the reduced tillage in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The CO2 emissions can be taken as indicators of soil tillage effects on the soil ecosystem, because CO2 emissions are closely connected to the microbial turnover and the physical accessibility of organic matter to microbes. These parameters were more available in the conventional tillage than the reduced tillage. CO2 emissions were strongly higher in the remaining residual condition rather than leaving condition in two years. CO2 emissions in the remaining residual condition was about 4.36 and 5.37 times higher than that of the leaving residual condition in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The microbial respiration and humidity of soil in the remaining residual condition is higher than that of the leaving residual condition. CO2 emission was elevated with increasing the rate of N fertilizer. The N fertilizer can increase the microbial activity of the soil. Cover cropping and N fertilization can increase CO2 emissions in full and reduced tilled soils by increasing the amount of crop residue returned to the soil. The results showed that CO2 emissions in 2011 were higher than 2012 in all treatments. The residual treatment had more effect on daily CO2 emission in comparison with tillage and N fertilizer treatments in both years. The trait was higher under conventional tillage, residue remaining and higher N fertilizer levels compared to reduced tillage, residue leaving and lower N fertilizer application. Linear regression for air temperature and mean CO2 emission illustrated that there was a positive correlation between air temperature and CO2 emission. Conclusion: In essence, the results showed that CO2 emissions for conventional tillage were higher than that of reduced tillage in two years. Remaining residual condition had strongly higher CO2 emission rather than leaving condition. CO2 emission was elevated with increasing the rate of N fertilizer.