Harvest management and cultivar effect on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) forage quality Alireza Khedri, Behzad Sani, Behnam Zand, Hamid Mozafari, Payam Moaveni Discover Applied Sciences, 2026 Understanding the connection between alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) harvesting stage and forage quality will allow optimum timing of harvest. A field experiment was established to study the variation of forage quality of six cultivars of alfalfa harvested at three flowering stage (10, 50 and 100% flowering stage at the research farm of Islamic Azad University, Varamin, Iran. The forage quality of alfalfa cultivars was significantly different at different stages of plant development. Crude fiber, NDF and ADF increased with increasing plant age ranging from 16.9%, 40.27 g 100 g− 1 DM and 23.3 g 100 g− 1 DM to 26.4%, 49.38 g 100 g− 1 DM and 41.33 g 100 g− 1 DM, respectively; while leaf to stem ratio, DMD, TDN, DMI, RFV and ME decreased from 1.54, 72.33 g 100 g− 1 DM, 71.25 g 100 g− 1 DM, 3.01 g Kg− 1 body weight, 175.33 and 10.29 MJ Kg− 1 DM to 1.12, 50.66 g 100 g− 1 DM, 48.03 g 100 g− 1 DM, 2.45 g Kg− 1 body weight, 85.25 and 6.61 MJ Kg− 1 DM. Among the six cultivars, Fasta and Meldor exhibited lower fiber fractions (NDF and ADF) and higher DMD, TDN, and RFV values. These Difference can be mainly caused by genetic diversity of plants and variation in the partitioning of assimilates to reproductive parts. The recognized superior cultivar will be used to improve the nutritional value of forage crops in the breeding programs. Our data suggests that the relationship between forage quality and harvest time had significant effect on forage quality than cultivar differences or genetic selection. In arid and semi-arid regions, the cultivars Fasta and Meldor meet all forage quality standards. Early harvesting may be an effective strategy to enhance forage quality. Lower level of protein might be the reason of loss of leaves and higher rate of stem in total canopy.
Exogenous Humic Acid and Magnesium Nanoparticles Synergistically Improve Growth, Photosynthesis, Protein, and Glycosides of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) S. M. Seyedlar, H. Mozafari, F. Rajabzadeh, B. Sani, T. Rahimi Russian Journal of Plant Physiology, 2025 Abstract There is considerable amount of interest in using organic compounds and metallic nanoparticles to improve plant performance. Although humic acid (HA) and magnesium nanoparticles (Mg NPs) have been used alone in certain plants or in conjunction with other compounds, the exact function of this combination is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of humic acid and magnesium nanoparticles separately and in combination with respect to growth, chlorophyll quality, protein, and various glycoside kinds of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). The experiment was conducted with humic acid (1 and 2 g/L) and magnesium nanoparticles (0.1 and 0.2 g/L). The results showed that combined humic acid (2 g/L) and magnesium nanoparticles (0.2 g/L) significantly increased plant height (20%), number of branches (54%), biological yield (39%), leaf magnesium content (43%), soluble protein content (61%), total chlorophyll (154%), and SPAD value (30%). Additionally, this treatment enhanced the yields of rebaudioside A (71%), rebaudioside B (99%), rebaudioside C (108%), stevioside (172%), dulcoside (161%), and total glycosides (123%). The co-application of humic acid at 2 g/L and magnesium nanoparticles at 0.2 g/L can be recommended for improving growth and enhancing the quality and quantity of glycosides, which can be beneficial for agriculture and food sciences.
Foliar-applied silicon and zinc nanoparticles improve plant growth, biochemical attributes, and essential oil profile of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) under different irrigation regimes Hossein Mosaedi, Hamid Mozafari, Behzad Sani, Abdollah Ghasemi Pirbalouti, Faezeh Rajabzadeh Functional Plant Biology, 2024 The comparative efficacy of silicon (Si) and zinc (Zn) nanoparticles (NPs) in mitigating drought stress in fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) remains largely unexplored. This study evaluated the impact of Si NPs and Zn NPs on enhancing plant growth and physiological-biochemical attributes of fennel under varying irrigation regimes. The 2-year study was a split-pot design with irrigation at three irrigation levels (100, 75, and 50% field capacity, FC) and five treatments of foliar application of Si and Zn NPs (control, 1 mM Si NP, 2 mM Si NP, 1 mM Zn NP, 2 mM Zn NP). Results showed that drought stress reduced plant performance. Increases in superoxide dismutase (SOD, 131%) and catalase (CAT, 276%) were seen after a 50% FC drought without the use of Si and Zn NPs. Conversely, biological yield (34%), seed yield (44%), chlorophyll a + b (26%), relative water content (RWC, 21%), and essential oil (EO) yield (50%) were all reduced. However, application of Zn and Si, particularly 1 mM Si and 2 mM Zn, greatly mitigated drought stress via lowering CAT and SOD activity and enhancing plant yield, chlorophyll content, RWC, and EO. The composition of the EO consisted primarily of anethole, followed by limonene, fenchone, and estragole. During drought conditions, monoterpene hydrocarbons increased while oxygenated monoterpenes decreased. The opposite trend was observed for Si and Zn NPs. Our results suggest that applying Zn NPs at 2 mM followed by Si NPs at 1 mM improved plant resilience and EO yield in fennel plants under water stress.
Unveiling constraints and cultivating potential: Optimizing spring sugar beet yield through boundary line analysis Peyman Hesadi, Hamid Mozaffari, Saeed Sadeghzadeh Hemayati, Payam Moaveni, Behzad Sani Results in Engineering, 2024 To enhance crop yields, narrowing the gap between actual and achievable yields is crucial. One approach involves identifying yield-limiting factors and their optimal levels. Boundary line analysis (BLA), a statistical method, quantifies yield response to environmental or managerial factors while accounting for variable factors. In 2020, a study surveyed 180 spring sugar beet farms in Iran. The findings revealed a 50.7 % yield gap (11.13 t ha−1) between farmers’ average sugar yield (10.84 t ha−1) and potential yield (21.97 t ha−1). BLA implicated low plant density, soil organic content, lack of potassium (K)-containing fertilizers, and non-adherence to crop rotation principles in 81.3 %, 75.5 %, 53.4 %, and 51.1 % of farms, respectively. Optimal levels were estimated at 9.5 plants m−1, 1.15 % soil organic content, 100 kg ha−1 K fertilization rate, and 5–9.8 as the rotation numerical value. Other limiting factors included time from cultivation to thinning and sowing date. The optimal minimum time between planting and thinning stood at 38 days, with the latest sowing date estimated at 94 Julian days (May 5). Achieving attainable yield necessitates limiting root exposure to 4.9 days, keeping disease damage below 15.3 %, and increasing irrigation frequency to over 10 times. In the short term, increasing plant density to optimal levels, promoting K fertilizer use, and adjusting thinning and sowing dates can significantly boost sugar yield per unit area.
Farming systems management (FSM) by application of bio-fertilizersand farmyardmanure in maize (Zea mays L.) production Advances in Environmental Biology, 2014
Till-system management technology (TSMT) in soybean farming at Iran Advances in Environmental Biology, 2013
Investigation of nitroxin and animal manure influences on essential oil in summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) under different irrigation regimes Advances in Environmental Biology, 2013
An assessment of the potential oil production (POP) in Glycine max L. under no- tillage (NT), minimum-tillage (MT), full-tillage (FT) and conventional-tillage (CT) in semi-arid conditions Advances in Environmental Biology, 2012
Effect of thermo priming on seedling production in Trigonella Advances in Environmental Biology, 2011
Till-system management (TSM) for achieve to the sustainable agriculture in field of soybean (Glycine Max L.) at Iran World Academy of Science Engineering and Technology, 2011
