Volume 1 Issue 3
Authors: Mahmoud Otroshy; Vajihe Pakravan; Shokoufeh Enteshary; Arash Mokhtari; Shirin Roozbeh
Abstract: Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsch., a member of the Apiaceae family, is one of the oldest and most economically important species. Because of seed dormancy and lack of hypocotyl growth when cotyledon emerged, In vivo cultivation of Bunium persicum has not succeeded. In order to investigate the effects of some plant growth regulators on somatic embryogenesis of Bunium persicum in tissue cultured condition, we have used indirect embryogenesis technique. Explant harvested from root, hypocotyl and cotyledon (leaf) were investigated on MS media combined with 2, 4-D, BAP, NAA (each of those with 6 concentration levels: 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg/l) and furthermore Kin (using 3 concentration levels: 0, 0.2 and 0.5 mg/l). Calli developed into different media and after 3 or 4 weeks some of them regenerated embryos. The best indirect somatic embryogenesis was obtained in a medium treated with root explants and the highest indirect embryogenesis was resulted from media treated with 2 mg/l 2, 4-D, 0.5 mg/l BAP or 1 mg/l BAP + 0.2 Kin. Also the highest percentage of callogenesis was observed on MS media containing 0.5 mg/l NAA+0.5 mg/l Kin, 4mg/l NAA or 2 mg/l 2, 4-D + 0.5 mg/l Kin.
Keywords: Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsch.; Somatic Embryogenesis; Callus; Hypocotyls
Authors: Manoj K. Trivedi; Deepak Kashyap; Ajay Gairola
Abstract: The present study involves development of a microscopic numerical model for simulating radial and vertical moisture flow towards plant root, root-water uptake and finally flow through the plant to the atmosphere. The model essentially comprises a numerical solution of the Richard’s equation in axis-symmetric polar co-ordinate system by finite difference method. The simulation of the subsequent water movement (from root to canopy and from canopy to atmosphere) is accomplished indirectly through a boundary condition at the root-soil interface. This boundary condition is derived by invoking the meteorological conditions prevailing over the plant leaf surface, and a plant conductivity parameter (plant transmissivity) is defined herein. The model provides distribution of soil moisture content, and the root-water uptake at discrete times. The plant transmissivity has been estimated for wheat crop.
Keywords: Root-Water Uptake; Microscopic Model; Richard’s Equation; Transpiration
Authors: Gholamreza Akbarizadeh
Abstract: In this paper, a new approach is proposed for texture feature extraction of satellite images using genetic algorithms. In this approach, the texture feature does not change by changing the angle of the texture. First, image texture is convolved with a trained mask, and then its energy is calculated. A regulatory mask has also been trained by a genetic algorithm using many examples of textured images. Feature extraction experiments are performed on a series of aerial images. Experimental results on both agricultural and urban images show the effectiveness of this feature for texture discrimination process of satellite images.
Keywords: Genetic Optimization; Satellite Images; Feature Extraction; Texture
Authors: Benyamin Khoshnevisan; Shahin Rafiee; Mahmoud Omid; Hossein Mousazadeh
Abstract: Data for this study were obtained from province of Esfahan in Iran. 260 potato producers were randomly selected for data collection. Energy efficiency of potato growers was studied and degrees of technical efficiency (TE), pure technical efficiency (PTE) and scale efficiency (SE) were determined using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Additionally, wasteful uses of energy by inefficient farms were assessed and energy saving of different sources was computed. Furthermore, the effect of energy optimization on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission was investigated and the total amount of GHG emission of efficient farms was compared with inefficient ones. It was revealed that 21% of producers were technically efficient and the average of TE was calculated as 0.83. Based on the BCC model 105 growers were identified efficient (40%) and the mean PTE of these farmers was found to be 0.98. Also, it was concluded that 13% (11506.63 MJ ha<sup>-1</sup>) of overall input energies can be saved if the performance of inefficient farms rose to a high level. Finally it was concluded that, by energy optimization the total GHG emission can be reduced to the value of 2075.21 kg CO<sub>2eq</sub>.
Keywords: DEA; Technical Efficiency; GHG Emission
Authors: Arash Mokhtari; B. Yazdi Samadi; M. Omidi; M. Otroshy; Z. Moeini; H. Alizadeh
Abstract: Short-term high efficiency protocol for direct shoot regeneration (DSR) and induce of multiple shoot regeneration (MSR) for in vitro plant genetic transformation or propagation was developed for wheat. This tissue culture and regeneration system with no callus formation, takes about 2 months to finish, shorter than any of the available systems requiring 3–4 months. Cutted shoot embryonic meristem (CSEM), shoot embryonic meristem with the scutellum (SEMS), shoot embryonic meristem (SEM) and scutellum (S), were excised from immature embryos and cultured in DSR medium. Rapid inductions of direct shoot buds and multiple shoot regeneration (MSR) in some of explants roots were got. Then, plants were transferred to the soil and showed normal growth and fertility in comparison with the seed-grown plants. The effects of different explants, light conditions and various combinations of plant growth regulators on direct shoot regeneration of wheat were investigated. The best response for multiple shoot regeneration from (SEMS) explants was observed on modified MS medium containing 2 mgl-1 2, 4-D and 10 mgl-1 BAP. Also 4-week period of exposure to darkness followed by light exposure was important for shoot regeneration. The average number of multiplied shoots per explants and explants with multiple shoots per culture dish was 8.38 and 5.46 among the cultivars after 8-9 weeks, respectively.
Keywords: Wheat; Direct Shoot Regeneration; Immature Explants; 2,4-D