Showing 5 results for Ashrafi
Mohammad Loghavi, S. Reza Ashrafizadeh,
Volume 1, Issue 2 (fall 1997)
Abstract
The effects of three levels of soil moisture content (8-10, 10-12 and 12-14% d.b.) and three levels of plowing depth (15, 20 and 25 cm) on draft, specific draft and drawbar power requirement of a 7-shank chisel plow in a clay loam soil were investigated. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with a 3×4 factorial. The effect of plowing depth on all of the parameters mentioned was highly significant. Implement draft and drawbar power requirement both increased with plowing depth, whereas a decreasing trend of specific draft with depth was observed. Soil moisture content had no significant effect on draft and specific draft of chisel plow in the range of moisture contents studied, though both parameters were minimized at 10-12% m.c. At this moisture level, the drawbar power requirement showed a significant reduction comparing with the other two moisture levels. This indicated that the soil was close to its optimum friability at this moisture content. Soil penetrometer readings, taken before and after plowing, indicated the existence of a hardpan from about 8 to 20 cm below the surface which was broken by chisel tines, but another hard layer formed under the plowing depth by the chisel points. Comparison of the results from the present study with those from the previously published works on chisel plow draft at similar plowing depths showed that the values obtained for draft and specific draft were acceptably close to those previous investigators. Also, a comparison with the findings of Loghavi and Moradi on moldboard plow draft under similar conditions confirmed the reports of previous investigators to the effect that a chisel plow requires approximately one-half of the draft of a moldboard plow with the same working width and depth.
M Gorji, H Eshghizadeh, A Khosh Goftarmanesh, A Ashrafi, A Moalem, N Poursakhi, N Pourghasemian, A Miladi,
Volume 12, Issue 46 (1-2009)
Abstract
Iron deficiency is a worldwide nutritional constraint in agricultural lands especially in calcareous soils. Cultivation of crops tolerant to Fe-deficiency is an approach to combat Fe deficiency. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate Fe-efficiency of selected important crops in Iran. A completely randomized block design in triplicates was conducted at IUT research greenhouse in fall 2006. Sweet corn (Hybrid K.S.C. 404), grain corn (Hybrid S.C. 500), safflower (cvs. S3110, S-411), sunflower (Hybrid Hyson) and durum wheat (cv. Shuga) were grown in a nutrient solution at two Fe levels (1 and 10 µM Fe-EDTA). The results showed significant (P < 0.01) variation among the studied crops in Fe-efficiency. Corn hybrids were more sensitive to Fe deficiency (FeE = 26%) as compared to other studied crops, and the greatest reduction was observed in their shoot dry matter at 0.1 mM Fe- EDTA treatment. In contrast, the lowest decrease in root and shoot dry matter weight under Fe-deficient condition was found for durum wheat (FeE=94%). Comparing the calculated Fe-efficiency using different indices showed that Fe concentration and content in the whole plant, shoot and root had no relationship with crop tolerance to Fe deficiency.
Mh. Rasouli-Sadaghiani, S. Ejlali , S. Ashrafi Saeidlou,
Volume 19, Issue 73 (fall 2015)
Abstract
Earthworms are an important component of soil fauna because of their fundamental impact on soil physical, chemical and biological properties. To evaluate the effects of earthworms on some soil chemical properties as well as plant growth indicators, an experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design in greenhouse conditions. The first factor involved the presence or absence of earthworms (Eisenia foetida), the second factor was different organic matter including control (no organic materials), pruning waste compost of apple and grape (PWC), wheat straw (WS), Herbal extracts waste (HE), pruning waste (PW) and the third factor was the presence or absence of corn plant for evaluating rhizosphere soil. At the end of growing period, some soil chemical properties including total nitrogen, organic carbon, ammonium, nitrate and plant growth indicators were measured. The results showed that application of organic matter and earthworm inoculation had significant effects on soil chemical properties. The pruning waste compost (PWC) treatment showed the largest impact on ammonium and nitrate content (1.7 and 3.3 times compared to control treatment, respectively). In pruning waste compost (PWC) treatment, organic carbon amount in rhizospheric soil increased from 0.9 at non-rhizosphere to 1.32 %. The presence of earthworm improved plant growth parameters including shoot and root dry weight by 34% and 30%, respectively, compared to earthworm absence condition. Soil ammonium and nitrate contents at earthworm presence increased 32% and 49%, respectively. Therefore, application of organic matter with earthworm inoculation had better results in comparison with no earthworm inoculation.
S. Ashrafi-Saeidlou, Mh. Rasouli-Sadghiani, M. Barin,
Volume 21, Issue 3 (Fall 2017)
Abstract
The Firing effect on soil depends on its intensity and duration. In order to investigate influence of different firing backgrounds on some soil physical and chemical properties, 80 soil samples were taken from two depths (0-5 cm and 5-20 cm) with different time of firing background (2 and 12 months). Some soil physical and chemical characteristics were measured at soil samples. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the amount of pH, EC, bulk density and ammonium in soils with different history of burning. The amount of studied indices increased after firing in burned soils compared to the control ones. However 12 months later they reach to their pre-fire levels. Total nitrogen amount in soils with 2 and 12 months firing history were 1.18 and 1.11 times higher than the control soils, respectively. The amount of organic carbon in surface depth (0-5 cm) of burned soils with 2 and 12 month firing backgrounds 37.25 and 24.7 percent increased in comparison to control soils, respectively. Also, fire led to a significant reduction in the amount of clay (29.25 percent) in burned areas compared to the control ones. Soil particle size distribution in control sites were in clay up to loam and in burned areas were in clay loam up to sandy loam classes. Therefore forest firing causes obvious changes in soil properties, remediation of which takes more than one year.
M. H. Rasouli-Sadaghiani, H. Karimi, S. Ashrafi Saeidlou, H. Khodaverdiloo,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (Winter 2019)
Abstract
Because of the undesirable effects of lead on soil properties and human health, evaluation of its remediation methods seems to be essential. In order to evaluate the effect of humic acid (HA) on the decontamination of lead (Pb) spiked-soils in the presence of wormwood plant (Artemicia absantium), an experiment was carried out in a completely randomized block design with three replications. Experiment factors including different concentrations of Pb (Pb(NO3)2 in the solid form) (0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg kg-1) and levels of HA (0, 100 and 200 mg kg-1) were considered. At the end of the growing period of plants, some soil and plant properties were measured. According to the results, BR, MBC, root and shoot dry weights, RWC and Fe and Zn concentrations in the shoot were decreased by increasing the soil Pb concentration. So, the mean values of BR and MBC in Pb1000 treatment was 60 and 51.1 percent lower than those of Pb0, respectively. Pb accumulation in the root and shoot was enhanced as a result of the increase in the soil Pb concentration. The maximum Pb concentration of shoot (37.10 mg kg-1) and root (38.1 mg kg-1) was seen in the Pb1000 treatment. Also, the results suggested that humic acid had a positive effect on the shoot of Fe, Zn and Pb concentrations. So, the concentration of these elements in HA200 treatment showed an increase 1.25, 1.64 and 1.66 times more than that of HA0, respectively. Leaf proline amount was increased significantly by elevating the soil Pb concentration; however, application of 200 mg kg-1 humic acid decreased leaf proline by 54.5 percent, as compared to the control (HA0). Therefore, humic acid effect on increasing the plant Pb uptake, improving soil biological properties, and increasing availability and dissolution of Pb showed its ability in promoting the phytoremediation efficiency. According to the obtained results of this study, woodwarm plant (Artemicia absantium) is a non-accumulator that could not be used for phytoremediation purposes.