JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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This study utilized a descriptive-correlational surveying approach to examine some economic factors involved in the adoption of an integrated campaign to control rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis) in Isfahan Province. The population consisted of farmers living in the vilages where Biological Control Plan was conducted (N=6000). The population frame was obtained from Isfahan Agricultural Organization. The sample was obtained using the cluster random sampling method (n=361). Questionnaire and interview were used for data collection in this study. Face and content validity of the instrument was established using a panel of experts consisting of senior faculty members in agricultural extension and education at Tarbiat Modaress University. Further, the agricultural officer of Isfahan Province validated the questionnaire. A reliability analysis was conducted and Cronbach alpha value was reported to be 83 percent. The results showed that the rate of adoption of Integrated Campaign to Control Rice Stem Borer among the farmers was moderate. Among the economic characteristics, there was a significant relationship between adoption of integrated campaign and area of land, amount of area under cultivation, degree of family cooperation in the agricultural activities, access to agricultural inputs, access to financial resources, and yield of rice per hectare.

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In this study, susceptibility of the first three larval stages of Spodoptera exigua to Bacillus thuringiensis was investigated. To determine the LC₅₀ values for each larval instar, 6 different logarithmic concentrations of Bacillus thuringiensis were used. A control was also included in each of the bioassays. The value of LC₅₀ for 1st instar larvae, that had been treated one to four hours after hatching, was 311.617 ppm. For the 2^nd and third instars, the larvae values of LC₅₀ were 1356.95 and 2708.27 ppm, respectively. It was clear that larval susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis decreased with age. In order to enhance the Bacillus thuringiensis efficiency to control Spodoptera exigua under field conditions, Bacillus thuringiensis should be applied at egg hatch peaks.

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A symbiotic relationship exists between the endophytic fungi of the genus Neotyphodium and many cool-season grasses. Endophytes can alter the growth as well as morphological and physiological characteristics of the host plant, thereby influencing the persistence and survival rate of infected plants. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of endophyte on phenotypic characteristics of Iranian tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.). The experiment was set up as a completely randomized design with three replications in a factorial arrangement. The first factor was the two plant accessions and the secondary factor was the endophyte-infected and noninfected plants. The results showed that most of phenotypic characteristics significantly altered as a result of endophyte infection in both tall fescue and meadow fescue plants. Results of analysis of variance showed that the influence of endophyte fungus was positive and significant on tiller number, herbage yield, dry crown weight, dry root weight per plant, and crown depth. Also between plant accessions, there were significant differences for dry herbage yield, crown weight, dry root weight per plant, crown depth, and dry matter percentage. Plant by endophyte interaction was highly significant for crown depth and dry root weight per plant. Therefore, eudophytic fungi can be used to improve phenotypic characteristics in these plants.

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Increasing the water use efficiency through promotion of sprinkler irrigation system, in order to increase production, has been the aim of the Ministry of Agricultural-Jihad in the past decade. Considerable amount of investment and efforts have been devoted to this end. Therefore, investigation of these efforts and development of models to predict the adoption behavior of farmers are of considerable importance. A survey research was conducted in four provinces (Fars, Bushehr, Kohkiloye-va-Boyerahmad, and Chaharmahal-va-Bakhteyari). A stratified random sample of 422 farmers was interviewed including 124 and 298 adopters and non-adopters, respectively. The findings indicated that the discriminant model developed based on the multiplicity model is a better predictor of farmers’ adoption behavior than diffusion and farm structure model. Application of multiplicity model in extension of sprinkler irrigation can increase the adoption rate and as result the efficiency of extension efforts.

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Endophytic fungi, Neotyphodium spp. symbiotically infect host grasses, Fescue arundinacea Schreb. and F. pratensis Huds. and Mealybug, Phenococcus solani Ferris attacks some forage plants. To evaluate the role of these fungi to control this pest, four genotypes of F. arundinacea and two genotypes of F. pratensis were used. Plant tillers were split into two sections, one section of which was freed from endophyte using a fungicide mixture. The mixture contained 2 grams of active ingredients of Propiconazol and 1 ml of Folicur per liter of water. New tillers from endophyte-infected and endophyte-free plants were transferred into the field. The number of mealybugs was measured after the first visible sign of infestation on roots. To count mealybug, one plant hill of each plot was randomly selected. Hay yield of each plot was measured by clipping the plants 5 cm above ground level. Correlation of hay yield and other growth characteristics with the number of mealybugs on roots as an index for mealybug damage on infested plants was determined. The results indicated that endophyte-free plants were highly infested with mealybug, P. solani compared with endophyte-infected plants that were completely free of P. solani, correlation coefficients showed that there was significant negative correlation between forage yield and mealybug numbers, indicating mealybug damage on infested plants. It seems that endophytic fungi are effective biocontrol factors for some root feeding pest such as mealybug, P. solani.

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To determine the role of endophytes in conferring valuable physiological characteristics on and induction inducing cold tolerance in two species of festuca, an experiment was done at Isfahan University of Technology in 2002. Endophyte-infected and non-infected clones from two genotypes of tall fescue and one meadow fescue were prepared and coded 75,83 and 60 respectively. The clones were exposed to cold treatments at 6, -2 and –10C and compared with control treatment at 20C. After three weeks of cold treatments, relative water content of leaf and crown, cell membrane stability (electrolyte leakage), percentage of membrane damage and finally proline content of leaf were measured. The presence of endophyt caused an slight increase in relative water content of leaf and crown. There was considerably higher proline in endophyte-infected plants compared with non-infected ones in both stress and non-stress conditions. Endophytic fungi had strong effects on maintenance of membrane stability and on the decrease of electrolyte leakage at all temperature levels. Among plant genotypes, 83 preformed better for some characteristics, specially in the presence of endophyte, and showed higher cold tolerance.

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In order to evaluate endophyte effect on plant earliness, compatible host-endophyte combinations including four genotypes of tall fescue and two genotypes of meadow fescue were selected and used in this study. One tiller-part of each genotype was treated using a fungicide mixture of Propiconazole and Folicur. New tillers of endophyte-infected and endophyte-free plants were planted in the field according to a complete block design with three replications. The traits including days to head emergence, days to 50% anthesis, days to maturity initiation, number of heads (as a weekly measurement), total seed weight, net seed weight and empty seed weigh were measured. Results showed that endophytes can enhance head emergence, maturity initiation and periodical seed yield. Days to 50% anthesis, and days to maturity initiation were also reduced. Head numbers in some genotypes increased up to 2 times. Increase in net seed yield may show some physiological alterations in plant such as hormonal balance alteration which may provide better seed setting in infected plants. Based on this study, we concluded that endophytic fungi can induce earliness in infected host plants.

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This paper investigates the effects of wheat production risk and other socio-economic factors on the probability of adopting new seed technologies. Also, the effects of production inputs and production conditions are examined on wheat production yield and risk. Moreover, the relative risk of new seed varieties will be examined under different scenarios. To carry out the study, farm-level data was collected from a sample of 187 wheat farms located in Fars province, and selected by multi stage random sampling method during the years 2001 and 2002. A generalized stochastic production function by a three-stage estimation procedure was used to determine the influential factors on the production yield and risk. The results showed that yield uncertainty could not be sufficiently explained by the level of input use in the cultivation of both wheat varieties. The comparison of two wheat varieties cultivation indicated that in the absence of suitable production conditions, on the average, the cultivation of new wheat varieties ensures greater yield than traditional wheat varieties, but involves greater risk, as measured by yield variance. Accordingly, the farmers’ risk aversion attitude could be a major factor inhibiting speedy diffusion of new wheat varieties, which besides having greater average yield than traditional wheat varieties, it has less production risk. The results indicated that the risk associated with seed has negative effect on the adoption of new seed technologies.

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Seed traits are an important measure of the effects of endophytic fungi in Festuca genus. In this study, endophyte-infected (E⁺) and un-infected (E^-) clones of the same tall fescue genotypes were used to investigate the effects of endophyte on the seed production and associated traits. Endophyte infection resulted in 32.8% increase of total seeds by weight, 34.6% seeds per plant, and 30.6% panicles per plant, but other seed components were not affected by endophyte. Significant phenotypic variances were observed for traits except for 1000 seed weight. Plant genotype×fungal status interactions occurred for seed per plant. These interactions occurred largely because of variation in different plant genotypes. Genetic variance for this trait in E⁺ was greater than E^- for both years, suggesting that the endophyte can mask plant genotypic variance. The results indicated that endophyte had a positive effect on seed production but could result in overestimating of plant genetic variance for some traits. In conclusion, breeding strategies should consider presence or absence of endophyte and the possible effects on variances.

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Fescues (Festuca spp) are widely distributed in the temperate regions and are used for turf, forage and soil conservation. Though seed traits are important measures of the effects of endophytic fungi on their host, little information is available in this respect for Festuca. In this study, endophyte-infected (E⁺) and endophyte-free (E^-) clones of the six fescue genotypes were used to investigate the effects of endophyte on seed production. The relationships between seed traits plus direct and indirect effects of components on seed yield were also studied. Endophyte infection resulted in 38.1% to 249% more seed yields in some genotypes, though some were not affected by this symbiotic relationship. Correlations between traits and also results of stepwise regression were influenced by the presence of the symbiotic fungi. Path analysis showed that endophytic fungi changed direct and indirect effects of components on seed yield. In endophyte containing clones, panicle fertility had the most direct effects and number of panicle per plant and seed per panicle the most indirect effects on seed yield. In E- clones, panicle fertility had the highest indirect effects and other components had direct effects on seed yield. The results suggested that breeding strategies for increasing seed yield in fescue should consider the presence or absence of endophyte in germplasm.

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Land and its size are important as the most basic factors of production in agriculture .Fragmentation is one of the main problems that rice producers of Mazandaran province are confronted with. Non-efficiency in farm management, inability in effective using of agriculture technology and machinery, and low range productivity of production are all related to land fragmentation. In order to overcome the problems and consequences originating from land fragmentation, specialists recommend the logical solution of land consolidation process, which is a basic strategy for changing the farm size. The purpose of this research was to identify and determine effective factors in land consolidation adoption by rice producers in Mazandaran province by using Logit Regression model. In this study, 150 rice producers from 5 villages have been investigated since 2007. Results show that variables of education, land quality, fragment distance and extension effort (learning programs) are the most important factors in land consolidation adoption by rice producers in this province (Sig=1%) . Also, number of the household and credit support are the next factors affecting in land consolidation adoption (Sig= 5%). I t must be noted that other variable such as age, farmer’s income, children education, experience of rice producers, cultivation area, membership in cooperatives, land situation, number of pieces and technical supports were not significantly involved.

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To establish DRIS norms in sugar beet (Beta Vulgaris L.) and compare them with DOP index, leaf samples were collected from 57 fields and N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and B concentrations were determined. On the bases of crop yield, the fields were divided into two groups with low and high yielding performances. Standard DRIS norms were established for the different nutrient ratios. DRIS indices were calculated to evaluate nutrient balances and order of nutrients requirements. Sufficiency ranges of macro and micro nutrients were derived by DRIS technique. DRIS-derived sufficiency ranges were 3.0-5.4, 0.21-0.47, 1.7-3.7, 0.55-1.6, 0.19-0.34% for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and 24-168, 10-19, 42-138, 10-14, 9-20 mg/kg for Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B, respectively. DRIS indices showed that among macro and micro nutrients in all low yielding fields, Phosphorus and copper had the most negative index values, respectively. The nutritional balance index (NBI) of DRIS and of DOP (∑DOP) were much more than zero in all low-yielding fields, indicating that there was imbalance between the absorbed nutrients by sugar beet. Comparison of the DRIS method with the DOP showed that both methods provide similar information in the interpretation of the results of leaf analysis.

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Due to adhesion properties of fine sediments, chemical physics factors of fluid can cause changes in the behavior of sediments. In this study, the characteristics of sediment deposition with three levels of waste water, different shear stresses and initial sediment concentrations were investigated in the annular flume located at Hydraulic Laboratory of Shahrekord University. Sediments for experiments were taken from the Pirbalut dam reservoir. The velocity and the shear stress profiles were measured using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV).The results showed that the concentration of cohesive sediment was decreased with time and finally it reached an equilibrium concentration of sediment. The equilibrium concentrations to initial concentration (Ceq/C0) in special shear stress, for different initial sediment concentrations and different levels of waste water were almost the same. Equilibrium concentration was dependent on the initial concentration sediment. Threshold and full deposition shear stresses were increased in waste water. Shear stresses of full deposition for 0, 30 and 60 % wastewater were 0.053, 0.075 and 0.070 N/m², respectively. Also, for specified levels of waste water, the values

 were obtained 10, 15 and 17, in which the suspended sediments would remain.

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Soil water repellency can affect several soil properties such as aggregate stability. Soil texture and organic matter are two main internal factors responsible for the variability of soil water repellency. Major sources of organic matter in soil include plant residues, and exudates of plant roots and soil microorganisms. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) as an important cool-season perennial forage grass is usually infected by a fungal endophyte (Epichloë coenophiala) which often enhances resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses as well as altering the litter decomposition rate and soil properties. In this study, the effects of endophyte-infected (E+) and endophyte-free (E−) tall fescue residues (in three different levels of 0, 1 and 2%) on soil organic carbon, basal microbial respiration, water-dispersible clay and water repellency index (determined by intrinsic sorptivity method) were investigated in four texturally-different soils in the laboratory. E+ and E− tall fescue residues were completely mixed with moist soil samples and then were incubated at 25 °C. During two months of incubation period, the amended soil samples were subjected to 10 wetting and drying cycles and then, the above-mentioned soil properties were measured. The results indicated that soil organic carbon and water-dispersible clay were greater, while basal soil respiration and repellency index were lower in fine-textured soils. Water repellency index was increased by production of hydrophobic substances (for the rate of 1%) and was reduced by induced greater soil porosity (for the rate of 2%). Presence of endophyte in plant residues had no significant effect on water sorptivity, ethanol sorptivity and water repellency index; nevertheless, E+ residues increased soil organic carbon and decreased water-dispersible clay significantly. Overall, it is concluded that tall fescue residues, especially those with E+, can improve soil physical quality due to improving soil organic carbon storage and water repellency index and decreasing water-dispersible clay (as an index for aggregate instability). These E+ species and the residues have great potential to be used in sustainable soil conservational managements.