JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

---

This experiment was conducted to study genetic variation for electrophoretic seed protein patterns and their relations with some seed characteristics such as protein and oil percentages, chemical compositions and 100-seed weight among 270 soybean (Glycine max L. Moench) genotypes.

Among different electrophoresis procedures examined, 10% and 4.5% concentrations of acrylamide for resolving and stacking gels, respectively, 13.5 mg/ml concentration of protein buffer extraction, injection of 10 microlitre sample injection into gel hollows, 2.5 miliamper and 2-hours staining period were determined as the best combination to achieve clear bands and good separation. Based on relative mobility on gel, 30 protein bands were observed, of which only 5 varied among genotypes. In general, 8 electrophoretic patterns were recognized. Cluster analysis based on qualitative evaluation of patterns grouped the genotypes in 8 clusters and classified different bands in three groups. Simple concordance (matching) coefficients between protein bands with relative mobilities of 2.5% and 49.5% were zero, which is an indication of their independent occurrence. Probably, these bands are coded with one gene that in dominant and recessive homozygous genotypes appear as a single band at different positions on the gel. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences (P<0.05) among protein patterns for protein and oil percentages. Correlation coefficients between variable protein bands and studied traits showed a positive and significant relation (P<0.05) of bands with relative mobility of 3.5 and 49.5 with protein and phosphorous contents of the seeds, respectively. Protein patterns having band with relative mobility of 49.5 had the highest phosphorous content. Black hilum color of seeds was related to protein band with relative mobility of 52.

---

Systemic properties of pyroquilon, an anti-blast systemic chemical, used in controlling rice blast disease caused by Pyricularica grisea, was investigated through in vivo tests. Rice plants were treated with pyroquilon as granules in soil. Leaf and stem tissues were collected at different times after treatment and pyroquilon was extracted from tissues and detected by gas chromatography. Treated rice plants were also exposed to disease infection in blast nursery at different times and disease incidence was evaluated one week later. Pyroquilon was detected in leaf tissue one day after treatment (DAT), reached maximum during 4-7 DAT, and then reduced gradually to a nondetectable level after 28 DAT. In stem tissue, change in pyroquilon content was similar to but its quantity was less than that of leaf tissue. On inoculated plants, disease was controlled up to 60% at 2 DAT and completely controlled during 4-28 DAT. The results indicated that pyroquilon could be taken up and systemically translocated in rice plants after applying as granules in soil. Extent of disease control was a good function of pyroquilon content in leaf tissue (R²=0.93) and 2 ppm of compound in leaf could provide 90% control of the disease. In contrast, disease control was not a good function of pyroquilon content in stem tissue (R²=0.30).

---

In this research the effect of ethinyl estradiol on somatic embryogenesis of Medicago sativa was investigated. Seeds were grown in vitro on MS medium containing 2,4-D, Kin and NAA for callus induction. Plant regeneration media with 14 different combinations of auxin, cytokinin and ethinyl estradiol were provided. Three to four-week old celli and stem or hypocotyl segments of Medicago sativa were transferred to regeneration media. Results showed that ethinyl estradiol (l mg/L) induced shoot, root and somatic embryo on calli. When the stem and hypocotyl segments were cultured on medium M12, only shoots and roots were produced with no somatic embryo. Finally, it was observed that ethinyl stradiol and auxin together could induce somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration, while these hormones had no effect separately.

---

Pedotransfer functions are the predictive models of a certain soil property from other easily, routinely, or cheaply measured properties. The common approach for fitting the pedotransfer functions is the use of the conventional statistical regression method. Such an approach is heavily based on the crisp obervations and also the crisp relations among variables. In the modeling natural systems, like soil, we are dealing with imprecise observations and the vague relations among the variables. Therefore, we need an appropriate algorithm for modeling such a fuzzy structures. In the present study, the fuzzy regression approach was used in order to fit some chemical and physical pedotransfer functions. The optimum regression models with the fuzzy coefficients were obtained for modeling pedotransfer functions. Sensivity analysis was carried out by using the credibility level. The results indicated that the fuzzy regression might be considered, as a suitable alternative or a complement to the statistical regression, whenever a relationship between variables is imprecise and generally when dealing with the errors due to a vaguness in regression models.

---

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of 7 experimental diets (2 diets containing 100 and 200 mg vitamin E (VE)/kg and 5 diets containing 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% green tea powder (GTP) ) on performance and breast and thigh meat oxidative stability of broiler chicks during different storage times. A total of 364 male broiler chicks were divided to 28 groups of 13 chicks each. Then every 4 groups were randomly allocated to one of experimental diets. During the experimental period (7-42 days of age) feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion of the experimental groups were measured. On day 42, 2 birds from each replicate (8 chicks per treatment) were weighed, slaughtered and their muscles of breast and thigh were minced and stored at 4ºC. Meat oxidative stability of the samples was determined on days 0, 6 and 9 of storage time using thiobarbituric acid test (TBA test). The results showed that addition of the VE and GTP to diets tended to significantly (P<0.05) reduce live body weight, weight gain, feed intake and abdominal fat accumulation and increase feed conversion ratio and pancreas size compared to control group. Increasing storage time from 0 to 6 and 9 d significantly (P< 0.05) increased TBA number. Lipid peroxidation and TBA values in thigh muscle were significantly (P<0.05) higher than breast muscle (1.46 vs. 0.359 mg Malonaldehyde/kg meat). Different dietary levels of GTP in diets did not have any significant effect on prevention of meat lipid peroxidation. In addition, the values of TBA in meat of the groups fed diets containing high levels of GTP significantly (P<0.05) increased in comparison to control group and those fed VE supplemented diets.

---

Stage – discharge relationship is mainly developed from measured data in any hydrometry station. Measured data usually obtain in low to medium flow discharge, because in most cases it is very difficult to measure the flow discharge during flood. Therefore, the stage–discharge is extrapolated beyond the measured data to compute the flood which may estimate low or higher value. This is because during the high flow, the bed form is developed which causes the flow resistance to change. In order to establish a better stage – discharge relation, it is important to apply methods which consider the bed form resistance. In this study an attempt has been made to determine the best method for developing such relationship. To reach the goal, the required data such as river cross section, discharge and related stage and bed material gradation from Ghorbaghestan hydrometry station were measured for two years. Then a computer program was developed. Using this program and applying the measured data, the stage – discharge relationships were computed by five different methods. From the statistical comparison of the results of these methods with measured data, it was found that Shen, Brownlie, Engelund and White’s method overestimate the flow discharge. The best method was found to be the Einstein – Barbarossa’s method that provided the minimum absolute mean errors 0.31 and 1.468 m3/s and minimum root mean square error 0.112 and 0.466 m3/s for the two study years, respectively

---

Zeolites are substances that have been renowned for their remarkable nitrogen adsorption capacity resulting of decrease in leaching rate of soil nitrogen. This research was conducted to study the effect of the zeolite dosage, zeolite particle size and the method of application on the nitrate leaching of the soil irrigated by treated wastewater (TWW). All of the adsorption tests were carried out in a 27 PVC columns with 11 cm diameter and 60 cm length. The experiments were consisted of 9 treatments and 3 replications including 2 zeolite application method (mixed and layered), 2 zeolite’s grain size (63-125 and <63 micrometer) and 2 zeolite dosage (2 and 4 percent). Zeolite powders were added to the soil in mixed or layered fashion. The soil columns were irrigated 13 times with TWW in a weekly period. In the 4th, 9th and 13th irrigation event, three samples were taken from input and output TWW introduced to columns to measure the change in nitrate concentration. The results were shown that nitrate absorption rate was increased by average of 164.3% and 350.7% in mixed and layered treatments, respectively compared to the control. The result showed that zeolite application method, irrigation event, zeolite’s grain size and dosage were statistically significant on nitrate absorption efficiency (P<0.01). It shows that as the zeolite size decrease the soil nitrate adsorption increases significantly. It increases when the zeolite percentage increases. The result show that the soil nitrate adsorption decreases as the irrigation event increase and soil adsorption potential degraded with irrigation events.

---

To procure the status of groundwater level fluctuations in arid and semi-arid areas, it is necessary to obtain accurate forecast of fluctuations data. Time series as a linear model have been utilized to generate synthetic data and predict future groundwater level. Minitab17 software and monthly depth of groundwater level data of 20 years (1991-2011) for 25 piezometric wells of plain were used. Time series models of each well were selected and 5 years temporal forecasting was accomplished. The predicted depth of groundwater level data was converted to Groundwater level data using ARCGIS10 and GS+5.1.1 software. Ordinary kriging with a spherical variogram was selected for interpolation of groundwater level. Five years spatial forecasting was done and spatial forecasting and groundwater level drop forecasting maps were prepared. Forecasting results of groundwater level show that over the next 5 years, the area covered by two intervals of groundwater level, 1100-1140 m and 1140-1180 m, will increase and the area covered by three ranges of 1180 -1220 m, 1220-1260 m, and 1260-1300 m, will decline. Also, according to the 5-year groundwater level drop forecasting map of the plain, the highest level of groundwater level drop, more than 16 meters for Qasemabad bozorg areas, located in North East and central of the plain, and the lowest level of the groundwater level drop, about 0.5 m for Mohammad Abad Afkham Aldoleh Lands, located in outlet area of the plain, have been predicted.

---

---

---