JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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The first step in fundamental breeding of any living organism is the determination of its genetic make-up. To investigate the genetic make-up of the European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) in Iran, some research attempts were made during the years 1992-1996 in which the bee's relationship with some exotic races were determined through the application of morphological methods. For this purpose 13000 samples of worker bees from 1320 colonies of 212 apiaries in 104 cities at 25 provinces were taken and twelve morphological characters were measured by using the international method (Ruttner, 1978). Furthermore, seven morphological characters of 900 drone samples taken from 403 colonies of 111 apiaries in 42 cities at 10 provinces were studied through the same method. The principle component analysis (PCA) was used for statistical analysis of the data obtained. The results indicated that the existing populations of honeybees under study were of the Iranian honeybee race (Apis mellifera meda) which were completely distinguishable from those of imported races such as A.m. carnica, A.m. ligustica, A.m. caucasica and exotic races such as A.m. anatoliaca, A.m. syriaca A.m. yemenitica and A.m. lamarkii. The imported races had not had great genetic impact on the Iranian race, as the Iranian honeybees have had good consistency and stability. In addition, import of the exotic queens has been ceased in the last decade.

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An important and fundamental step in breeding honeybees is the separation of honeybee populations in Iran. During the years 1992-1996, several research works were directed towards the investigation of genetic populations of the Iranian honeybee (Apis mellifera L.), using biochemical methods. For this purpose, samples of worker bees were taken from 251 colonies of 115 apiaries in 84 cities in 21 provinces. The biochemical studies were conducted on thoracic proteins of worker bees using the horizontal electrophoresis.

The thoracic proteins of worker bees from the north and east populations isolated by electrophoretic techniques lacked a protein band having molecular weight of about 100,000 daltons. The results obtained from morphological and biochemical techniques and segregation of populations, indicate that breeding centers can be established in northern as well as western and central regions of Iran to improve genetic potentials of Iranian honeybee population. 

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In order to estimate the heritability of morphological characters of worker honey bee and honey yield, 30 queen-mothers were selected randomly from the apiary of Research Center of Animal Science and Natural Resources in Isfahan Province. From each queen-mother, five queen-daughters were reared and introduced to equalize colonies after natural mating of queens. Summer honey yield was measured, while fall honey production was calculated from area of sealed honey combs. The total honey was calculated by adding summer honey production to fall honey production. Morphological characters were measured under a stereo-dissecting microscope fitted with a calibrated micrometer reticle according to Ruttners method (1985).

 Heritabilities were estimated by intraclass correlation method. Heritabilities of summer, fall and total yearly honey yields were estimated to be 0.64, 0.51 and 0.30, respectively. Estimates of heritability of morphological characters for probscis length, tibia length, femur length, metatarsus length, metatarsus width, forewing length, forewing width, cubital index, hindwing length and number of hamuli were 0.64±0.08, 0.45±0.07, 0.50±0.07, 0.47±0.07, 0.33±0.06, 0.42±0.06, 0.89±0.10, 0.5±0.07, 0.94±0.10 and 0.45±0.07, respectively. It could be concluded that in order to increase honey yield in either season (summer or fall), selection must be based on the amount of honey yield in the corresponding season. Thus, heritabilities of forewing and hindwing lengths were high selection according to these morphological characters would, therefore, change the size of these characters.

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In this study 130 honeybee colonies in 4 locations (Damavand, Tehran, Qum and Karaj-Savojbolagh) were sampled to determine the phenotypic correlations among 9 morphological and 3 production traits. The morphological traits were length (FL) and width (FB) of fore wing, cubital index (CI), length of hind leg (HL), length of probosics (LP), slender index (SI), length (WL) and width (WT) of wax mirror, distance between wax mirror (WD), index of wax mirror (IW) and corbicular area (CA). The production traits were honey yield (WH), pollen gathering (WP) and wax: production (WW). Data were subjected to analysis of variance, phenotypic correlations, stepwise regression and path coefficient analysis. Results of phenotypic correlations demonstrated that correlations between FL with FB (0.65), WL (0.361), WT (0.261), HL (0.555) and LP (0.257), WH with WP (0.300), WW with WH (0.560) and CA with WH (0.234) were significant (P≤0.01). FB with WH (r=0.204) was also significant but there was no significant correlation between CA and WP. Results of stepwise regression and path coefficient analysis showed that whereas morphological traits were settled as independent variables, much of the corresponding changes in production traits remain uninterpreted. In spite of the significant correlations among several morphological and production traits, body measurements alone are not suitable criteria to select colonies for high productions of honey, pollen and wax.

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Small honeybee (Apis florea) is one of the common species in Iran. Apis florea lives in southern Iran and plays an important role in the polination of plants in this region. In a series of studies during the years 1997-1998, the genetic populations of the Iranian small honeybee and the effects of geographic and climatic conditions on the morphological variation and separation of Iranian small honeybee were investigated. For this purpose, 400 samples of worker bees from 40 colonies from 26 cities in 9 provinces were collected and twelve morphological characters were measured, using Ruttner method (1978). To determine geographical and climatological variables, average values collected by synoptic stations and other meteorological stations of Iran Meteorological Organization were used. The principal components analysis was used in the statistical analysis of the data obtained. The results show that there exist two distinct groups of small honeybee populations in Iran. Southwest of Iran hosts a class of bigger bees forming one distinct group while southeast of Iran hosts smaller bees forming the second group. Latitude has a positive correlation with size of body, wings and legs. Amount of precipitation has a nagative correlation with size of body, wings and legs. Temperature, wind speed. relative humidity, freezing days and other parameters did not show any correlations with size of body. The results from this research proved that the more northern areas with higher altitudes and more precipitation have bigger honeybees. This finding is in accordance with the Bergman law about other animals.

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In modern programmes of animal breeding, the polymorphisms of the milk proteins can be used as marker systems. Beta-Lactoglobulin is the major milk whey protein in the ruminants. The BLG coding gene located on ovine chromosome 3. This protein, synthesis in the mammary glands during pregnancy and the lactation stages. Studies have indicated that this protein is polymorphic in the many breeds of sheep. This is the result of a single base pair substitution in the Beta-Lactoglobulin gene that also rises to the RsaI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The aim of this work was to analyze the genotype distribution of Beta-Lactoglobulin in sheep. Blood samples were supplied from 142 sheep of the 5 breeds (Ghezel, Afshari, Moghani, Makoii and Arkharmerino). Genomic DNA was extracted from the 200ul blood sample according to Boom et al. (1989) method modified by Shaikhayev (1995). The Gel monitoring and the spectrophotometeric methods were used for determination of the DNA quality and quantity. the Primers BLG5 and BLG3 amplified a 452 bp fragment from the exon II of the ovine Beta-Lactoglobulin gene. the Products of the amplification were recognized by the electrophoresis on the 1% agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide. The RsaI enzyme was used for restriction of the PCR products. The digested products were separated by the electrophoresis on the 8% nondenaturant polyacrylamide gel and visualized after staining with the ethidium bromide on UV transillumination. The popGen32 software (ver.1.31) was used to estimate the allele and the genotype frequencies, the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and dendrogram of the genetic distance. The frequency of A-allele in Ghezel, Afshari, Moghani, Makoii and Arkharmerino breeds was 56%, 34%, 36%, 53% and 48% respectively. The populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium except to Afshari breed. The lowest genetic distance was observed between Moghani and Afshari breeds and the highest genetic distance between Ghezel and Afshari breeds. The results of this study indicated that PCR-RFLP is an appropriate tool for evaluating genetic variability in sheep.

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Half diallel crosses of eight bread wheat cultivars were used to estimate the genetic parameters and types of genetic control for yield and yield components, and to determine the effects of environmental factors on these parameters. Parents and their F2 hybrids were grown in a randomized block design under irrigated and stressed (terminal drought) conditions. For all traits, except for number of spikelets per spike and number of grain per spike, the effect of environment (irrigated v.s stressed) and genotype by environment interaction were significant. The mean square of GCA for all characters was significant in both environments, except for number of fertile tillers in the irrigated condition and grain yield in the stressed conditions. The mean square of SCA was significant for plant height only in the irrigated condition, while for number of fertile tillers and grain yield it was significant in both conditions. The high significant ratios of GCA to SCA mean square indicated the importance of additive genetic effects on controlling plant height, spike length number of grain per spike in both environments and number of spikelets per spike in the stressed condition. The parameter estimation revealed partial dominance gene actions for plant height, spike length and grain per spike in both environments, and number of spikelets per spike in stressed environment, whereas over-dominance gene actions were observed for the other traits in one or both conditions.

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Understanding the nitrogen remobilization by plant, in order to obtain cultivars with higher quality, has specific importance in plant physiology. In this experiment, a bread and a durum wheat cultivar, were treated with different rates and times of nitrogen application, by using split factorial on the basis of randomized complete block design with three replications at Shiraz region during 2001-2002. Main plots consisted of two levels of cultivars ( Falat and Yavaros) and sub plots included nitrogen (40, 80 and 160 (kg ha^-1) and times of nitrogen application (T1= all N fertilizer at planting , T2= 1/2 at planting + 1/2 during stem elongation and T3= 1/3 at planting + 1/3 during stem elongation + 1/3 at heading stage). The results showed that there was a significant difference between cultivars in flag leaf nitrogen content at maturity stage, N remobilization and its efficiency from flag leaf to grains and also grain protein percentage. Durum wheat was more efficient in nitrogen remobilization and therefore, had a higher grain protein percentage. Increase in rates and times of nitrogen application had significant effect on most of the measured traits. There were significant interactions between cultivars, rates and times of N application, indicating that durum wheat was more efficient in N remobilization from flag leaf to the grain. It appeared that N remobilization efficiency was the important factor affecting the grain protein percentage. Also increases in yield are associated with corresponding decreases in wheat protein.

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During the honeybee breeding project in central Iran, sex alleles homozygoty and sex alleles number in the third generation of 364 colonies were studied in 2003. Sex alleles homozygoty was measured based on Ruttner (1988) and Tarpy and Page (2002) methods. The total area of worker brood area, stored pollen, and drone brood area were measured on the combs. The whole extracted honey weight and remaining honey in the combs were evaluated as honey production of colonies. Adult population was evaluated based on the number of full combs of adult honeybees. The results showed that sex alleles, average homozygoty and number in the colonies were 18.83% and 5.32 respectively. The results showed no significant correlation between homozygoty of sex alleles or sex alleles number and stored pollen ( P > 0.05 ) , but significant negative correlation between sex alleles homozygoty and colony population, total brood area and honey yield ( P < 0.01 ) was observed. So introduction of new sire colonies in the mating Isolated area is essential to prevent sex alleles homozygoty and also performance of honeybee colonies from decreasing.

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To evaluate the effect of nitrogen slowly released from pellet, composed of manure and urea fertilizer on the Nitrogen efficiency and morphological Characteristics and grain yield of corn hybrid (S.C704), a field experiment was carried out in Aboureihan research farm of Tehran University in 2009. The factorial design of the study comprised a randomized complete block with three replications. The application rates of N at four levels (46, 92, 138 and 184 kg N. ha-1) and two levels by methods of N distribution (pellet and mixed with soil) were applied. In this research, a Screw Extruder setup was designed and manufactured. Statistical analysis indicated that NUE, as well as agronomic efficiency (AE) was reduced while physiological efficiency (PE) increased with increasing N rates. Also, most plant length and stem diagonal and cob diagonal pellet belonged to the treatment. But, the number of leaves per plant did not affect the distribution method of fertilizer.The results showed significant differences among various rates of nitrogen and methods of N distribution considering grain yield and grain protein. The higher rates of N increased grain protein, grain yield and yield components (except for number of rows per ear). Maximum grain yield (11.1 t. ha-1) was obtained with 184 kg N. Ha-1 treatment.

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The aim of this research was to determine the effects of Camphorosma monspeliaca species on soil variables in its habitat. Ecological positive or negative effects of new species on environment must carefully be examined before allowing their plantation in vast areas on the other hand these species with their special characteristics have special effects on their surrounding environment that should be considered. Camphorosma monspeliaca is one of the non-native and adapted species in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province that its unique habitat has 3500 ha area. Effect of this species on new environment requires more studies on their several different aspects. Here we studied effect of this species on soil in order to assess ecological effects of this species on environment. This species distributed in all of the landscape but most distribution of species located at southern and northern aspects and land with flat topography.This species can establish in non saline soil, loam and clay loam texture with different value of organic matter, lime and gypsum. The research was carried out at four stages of information and background collection, field sampling, soil test and statistics analysis. The research method was based on comparison among adjacent stand and stands of this species. Soil variables in two surface (0-10 cm) and depth (10-30 cm) were measured. Result showed that there was significant difference among adjacent stand and stands of this species in terms of SAR, OM and Sand in stands of this species were greater than the adjacent stands. This species increased content of organic‌ matter and amounts of SAR, OM and Sand. From the results obtained on three topography position, despite of negative effect of Camphorosma monspeliaca on under soil with increase of SAR, it can be concluded that Camphorosma monspeliaca had a positive effect on soil organic matter and soil texture

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