Mohammad Pessarakli

• Ph.D., Research Professor
• Professor at University of Arizona

To evaluate dryland wheat genotypes’ performance under different pre-crop and residue managements under dryland conditions, a split–split plot experiment based on the RCB design, with three replications, was conducted for two years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019). The site of the study has a long-term average precipitation, temperature, and relative humi...

To evaluate dryland wheat genotypes' performance to different pre-crop and residue management under dryland conditions, a split-split plot experiment based on RCB design with three replications was conducted for two years (2017-2018 and 2018-2019). The site of study's long-term average precipitation, temperature, and relative humidity are 376 mm, 9...

It is well documented that ROS including oxygen free radicals, namely, superoxide anion radicals (O2•-, unstable), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, stable), hydroxyl radicals (HO•, unstable), and lipid radicals (LO• and LOO•, unstable), which are also called by-products of plant aerobic metabolism, are produced by chloroplasts and other cellular compartmen...

Trunk injection applies more nutrients in the correct volume and composition, delivering ideal results with fewer fertilizer treatments under drought-stress conditions. We used a completely randomized block design to examine the effects of trunk injection therapy on the development of drought stress tolerance in olive trees in arid climates. Treatm...

Modern agriculture has a major impact on natural resources in terms of exploitation and use. Land and water resources are being exploited by ever-increasing population pressures. High nutritional inputs such as mineral nitrogen (N) fertilization are required to achieve higher and sustainable yields. Although crop production depends on N fertilizers...

Jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) are phytohormones that have a significant role in the induction of plant defense against different stress factors. The role of these phytohormones was assessed on several physico�chemical properties of safflower plants subjected to salinity. JA and, espe�cially SA, caused plants had more Naþ and less Kþ...

The in vitro and in vivo efficacy of three biocontrol agents, Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescence, and Bacillus subtilis, were tested against Rhizoctonia solani (AG-4) infection compared to two conventional fungicides (Rizolex-T 50%wettable powder and Amistar 25%). Antifungal enzyme activity was assayed in the culture filtrate of the bioco...

To investigate responses of two winter wheat genotypes under different crop management systems (rotation and tillage), a split–split plot experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications during 4 years in Maragheh, Iran. Three crop rotation treatments [vetch–wheat (V–W), chickpea–wheat (C–W), and s...

Calcium (Ca) and nitrogen (N) are essential elements for plant growth; however, the N form ratio in the nutrient solution affects plant growth as well as the uptake and partitioning of other nutrient elements differently. This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of different N-NO3: N-NH4 ratios and calcium levels on calcium movement,...

Drought stress is a major issue impacting wheat growth and yield worldwide, and it is getting worse as the world’s climate changes. Thus, selection for drought-adaptive traits and drought-tolerant genotypes are essential components in wheat breeding programs. The goal of this study was to explore how spectral reflectance indices (SRIs) and yield tr...

Plant productivity is impacted by drought stress, which adversely affects their morphological and physiological processes. In response, the plant activates its defense mechanisms, but severe drought impairs these responses. In this review, the morphological aspects of water deficit on plants were examined, including reduced germination, rooting, sh...

In order to improve the efficiency of breeding programs related to abiotic stresses, a new package in R-based-language, “PBTolindex,” was introduced to distinguish tolerant genotypes to drought stress. Accordingly, a dataset of a practical breeding program on 30 triticale genotypes cultivated under drought stress and normal irrigation conditions in...

Vermicompost (VC) is the solid excreta of earthworms, produced through the metabolism of organic matter under aerobic conditions. Thus, vermicompost is a product of the biodegradation, non-thermophilic process of organic materials through interactions between microorganisms and earthworms. This odorless, light organic product of the vermicomposting...

Vermicompost is the solid excreta of earthworms, produced through the metabolism of organic matter under aerobic conditions. Thus, vermicompost is a product of bio-degradation, non-thermophilic process, of organic materials through interactions between microorganisms and earthworms. This odorless, light organic product of the vermicomposting proces...

In this study, the effects of nitrate (NO3−) to ammonium (NH4+) ratios on vegetative growth parameters, mineral uptake, physiological and biochemical responses of two semi-vigorous apple rootstocks (MM106 and MM111) in hydroponically grown under greenhouse conditions were evaluated. Treatments were five nutrient solutions of differing NO3−:NH4+ rat...

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of boron on Ca movement, yield, and quality of tomatoes. A soilless culture experiment with three levels of B (0, 25, and 50 µM) and three concentrations of Ca (2, 4, and 8 mM) was carried out to grow tomatoes. The results showed that although the application of boron to the sample was more effective...

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of seed priming and foliar spray of potassium silicate on antioxidant activities under different salinity levels, thereby potentially improving wheat growth. Seeds were soaked into solutions containing potassium silicate (K2SiO3, 1.5 mM) for 6 h, while foliar spray with K...

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of seed priming and foliar spray of potassium silicate on antioxidant activities under different salinity levels, thereby potentially improving wheat growth. Seeds were soaked into solutions containing potassium silicate (K 2 SiO 3 , 1.5 mM) for 6 h, while foliar spray wi...

Different levels of humic acid (HA) (0, 100, 500, and 1000 mg L⁻¹) and Ca (3.5 and 7 meq/L) were applied to growth media. A multi-level factorial experiment with a completely randomized design was employed with three replicates to evaluate interaction effects. Macro- and micro-nutrient contents were measured in leaves, roots, and scapes of gerbera....

In turfgrass breeding, competent grass ecotypes are preferably identified for their resistance to salinity condition. This research was designed to explore genes that induce salt resistance (NHX1, NHX2, HKT1;4, SnRK2.4 and NAC9) and their role in physiological modifications of six tall wheatgrass ecotypes (Agropyron elongatum L.). The sites of samp...

In order to model the combination of nitrogen application and irrigation level on corn yield, a three-years experiment (2018, 2019, and 2020) was perfumed based on a split-plot design. Four levels of Nitrogen fertilizer (0, 75, 125, 175, and 225 kg ha⁻¹) and three levels of irrigation (100%, 80%, and 60% FC) were applied in all three years. Differe...

Selenium is essential for human metabolism and its enrichment in vegetables plays an effective role in providing the body with selenium requirements. This factorial experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Shahrekord University in 2019 to study the effects of selenium on basil growth and shelf life in the conditions of feeding with poultry manur...

Drought and salinity are the most common abiotic stresses in arid and semi-arid regions. Vetiver grass is one of the best plants for planting in heavy metal contaminated areas. Therefore, the impact of drought, salinity, and heavy metal stress on growth, nutrient uptake, and physiological traits of vetiver has been investigated in this research. Th...

The shortage of elements in the soil and water available to the plant are some of the most common environmental stresses in Iran which faces drought every year. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of pitting and organic fertilizers on the growth and physiological characteristics of vetiver grass in drought stress conditions. After cul...

Silicon and Nano-silicon in Environmental Stress Management and Crop Quality Improvement: Progress and Prospects provides a comprehensive overview of the latest understanding of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular basis of silicon- and nano-silicon-mediated environmental stress tolerance and crop quality improvements in plants. This volum...

With regards to the importance of drought stress and genotype screening under stress conditions, the current study was conducted to evaluate barley varieties in response to drought stress and find the tolerant ones, along with the determination of the influential ratio of each yield component on grain yield under both conditions. Accordingly, 25 ba...

In this study, photosynthesis and assimilate translocation and their contribution to improving grain yield and harvest index (HI) of triticale under different N sources and irrigation regimes in an arid climate were evaluated. There were two levels of water regimes: normal irrigation (IRN) and deficit irrigation (cutting irrigation after anthesis s...

Salinity is an important abiotic stress that limits plant growth and low-quality water and saline soils that usually grow plants trigger the adverse effects of salinity on the growth and development of plants/crops. Plants grown under saline soil conditions undergo high levels of osmotic stress, ion toxicity, and nutritional disorders. These condit...

Senescence and death are two important processes in the life of any living being and are active processes during which nutrients are decomposed and transferred from the senescence organs to organs that are in active growth. Leaf senescence is a form of programmed cell death that can be regulated by an array of endogenous factors and environmental c...

Among the thousands of processes that determine the shape and function of a plant, flowering is one of the most important processes in agriculture. Most of the important crops in medicinal and ornamental plants are somehow dependent on flowering, so that flowering is either the primary goal of the crop or the production of a crop requires flowering...

Plant growth and development under natural conditions are affected by genetic and environmental factors. In the absence of genetic constraints, growth and development of the plants are determined by environmental factors such as nutrition, planting date, and lighting conditions. Among the factors mentioned, light is not the only necessary element;...

Plants are continuously exposed to various abiotic stresses in nature that cause an extended range of changes from morphological to molecular levels. In the presence of severe stress, plants cannot show their real genetic potential. Water deficit limits the plants’ growth and yields more than other abiotic stresses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ar...

Due to the extensive contamination of soils with heavy metals and their problems, the removal of these pollutants has been considered in different areas. With regard to the irresolvable issue of heavy metals, stabilization and use of plants for the treatment of contaminated soils are considered to be effective methods in this field because of their...

Global climatic change and increasing population necessitate increased crop productivity. Abiotic environmental factors lead to disruption in growth, development, and yield of plants/crops and pose a major threat to food security in the world. Plants are sedentary, so they respond to stresses through various mechanisms, one of which through an alte...

The unprecedented escalations in global human population growth rate and harmful effects of climate change are the major threats for food supply. The problem of food security highlights the need to employ a combination of modern agricultural and biotechnological approaches to maintain crop performance under normal and widespread stressful condition...

Osmotic stress caused by drought or salinity is one of the most adverse constraints in agriculture system, threatening human food security worldwide. Like other environmental stimuli, osmotic stress sensing-signaling pathways begin with perception (by interacting Ca2+-sensor proteins) and generation of Ca2+ signals, which are under the influence of...

Drought stress as a major constraint in agriculture severely disturbs plant biological processes. Understanding drought-induced signal generation, perception, transduction, and, thereby, adaptation responses at signaling and molecular levels is essential for designing drought-tolerant plants to survive under ever increasing environmental stresses a...

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is mostly cultivated on marginal soils where salinity is a key stress. The focus of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of melatonin priming and hydro priming on germination, growth parameters, antioxidant defense system and tolerance threshold in seven common bean cultivars grown under different lev...

Dates are the staple food for Arabs as well as the major export crop in the Middle East. In this work, we analyzed the concentration of toxic elements in commonly used fertilizers and evaluated metal accumulation in soil and date palm. Different types of fertilizers randomly selected from fertilizer dealers in the UAE were investigated for their to...

This study was carried out to assess the efficiency of nitrogen (N) fertilizer in mitigating the harmful effects of salinity stress on growth and biochemical traits in sorghum genotypes. The experiment was conducted as a factorial trial based on the completely randomized design with four replications under the greenhouse conditions. The factors inc...

Rice is the main food crop for more than half the world’s population. Environ- mental stresses lead to significant economic losses with decreased productivity. Alleviation of salt stress is vital to maintain productivity and ensure food safety for a global population worldwide. Rice is tolerant to salinity in the stages of germination, tillering, a...

The efficacy of humic acid (HA) and jasmonic acid (JA) application to modulate the adverse effects of water stress on pigment content, relative water content (RWC), antioxidant enzyme activity, and ion balance of two triticale genotypes (ET-83-3 and ET-84-8) was investigated in a pot experiment under controlled conditions. Application of both HA an...

Salinity tolerance is presumed to be improved in the intercropping system, however, there has been inadequate evidence to scientifically prove this. In the current study, the effect of salinity was examined on forage yield and quality of sorghum and kochia in an intercropping system with different planting ratios in a two-year field trial at Shiraz...

The role of salicylic acid (0, 1 and 1.5 mM) on photosynthetic electron transfer chain of mung-bean plants grown under salt stress (0, 3, 6 and 9 dS/m2) was studied using chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) measurements. Results indicated that accumulation of K+ content decreased but, Na+ content increased with increasing salt stress. SA-treated plan...

UCB-1(P. integerrima ×P. atlantica) is considered as a high tolerant hybrid rootstock to salt stress from Pistacia genus that widely used as rootstock for pistachio cultivars. This study was conducted to compare the response of five P. vera salt-tolerant genotypes with UCB-1 under salt stress. The experiment was carried out as a completely randomiz...

The successful sustainable production of high-quality and high-yielding tomatoes, particularly, by deploying precision agriculture with less water, nutrient, and energy consumption in a controlled environment has important roles in supporting plant and ecosystem sustainability, human nutrition and diet, and economic development worldwide. Among suc...

Under optimized biological and technical conditions, aquaponics provides more advantages than conventional (soil-based greenhouse) and hydroponic cultivations as the result of reusing the wastewater and thereby improving energy, water and nutrient use efficiency, productivity, financial gain, as well as plant and ecosystem health. Tomato is one of...

Under optimized biological and technical conditions, aquaponics provides more advantages than conventional (soil-based greenhouse) and hydroponic cultivations as the result of reusing the wastewater and thereby improving energy, water and nutrient use efficiency, productivity, financial gain, as well as plant and ecosystem health. Tomato is one of...

This study was aimed to determine biochemical traits related to higher phytomass production in sorghum genotypes irrigated with saline water. It was also attempted to consider whether or not forage yield production under non-saline conditions could be used as an index for for the selection of high yielding genotypes of sorghum under saline conditio...

Improvement in the rate and amount of germination of seeds has a very important effect on the establish-ment of primary seedlings and the increase of rangeland production. The rapid and uniform germination of seeds leads to the successful establishment of plants. The use of nanoscale materials can help germinate faster seeds. Therefore, in this stu...

Given the anticipation of water supply becoming increasingly scarce in the future and costlier, water conservation in turfgrass management has become extremely important. The application of mycorrhizal fungi in water scarcity has been considered as one of the most promising methods to improve turfgrass management. Accordingly, the present study eva...

Relationship between canopy temperature and soil moisture is important for using the potential of canopy temperature as an indicator of crop water stress. A two-year field experiment was carried out during June to September 2016 and 2017 at the Research Station of College of Agriculture, Darab, Shiraz University, Iran, to determine crop water stres...

Rosa damascena Mill L. also known as “Damask Rose” and “Gole Mohammadi” is a well-recognized high value ornamental and medicinal plant, which can be used in food, perfume and medicine industries. This study aimed to analyze the genetic diversity of 10 Rosa damascena genotypes by evaluating their morphological traits, flower yield and oil content to...

Shallot is an economically important nutritive bulb vegetable and medicinal plant from Alliaceae family. Distributed in limited regions worldwide, in most cases, shallots widely grow in very cold to moderate cold temperate climates at high elevations required to induce bolting and overcome their bulbs and true seeds dormant period. Shallot response...

Because of the high pH of the soil in semiarid regions, phosphorus adsorption is unfavorable. So, considerable amounts of phosphorus fertilizers are used annually, where this fertilizer may affect the plant residues' decomposition. To examine the interaction effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on nitrogen mineralization in calcareous soil, a factori...

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a geophyte herbaceous perennial medicinal plant, whose flower’s three style arms plus stigmas are used as the most expensive spice in the world. Saffron is exclusively propagated in a vegetative manner through clonal corm multiplication. Saffron stigma + style and daughter corms (also termed as progenies or propagules...

Role of exogenously-applied silicon (Si) on antioxidant enzyme activities was investigated in wheat under drought stress using a completely randomized factorial design with four replications. Drought stress significantly enhanced activities of ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase, and elevated accumulation of osmotica...

Grape quality and its nutrient composition vary depending on agronomical management practices (fertilization, irrigation, weed, and pest control), and agrochemicals treatments (such as kaolin, hormones, and sucrose), viticultural (grape cultivars and varieties, training, pruning, cluster thinning, and trunk girdling), and biotechnological technique...

Genotype selection is an essential step in breeding programs determining nutrient content and composition and, thereby, the quality indices of grapevines and their products. The grapevine bioactive compounds, particularly flavonoids, are determinants of grape quality and possess strong health-promoting effects in grapevine and humans. Grapevine nut...

Cold stress, including chilling and freezing temperatures, severely damages crop production and quality during the whole plant life from seed germination to the end of postharvest life. Cold stress can indirectly reduce plant yield and quality by suppressing symbiont growth and, thereby, symbiotic performance. In organic farming, the application of...

Depending on plant genotype–environment interactions, cell signal transduction, and thereby gene expression, disruptive or promotive effects on grapevine physiology, metabolism, and, consequently, fruit quality and yield may occur. This review article aims to evaluate the effects of temperature and light stress on grapevine signaling and metabolic...

Low-temperature stresses, also referred to as cold temperature stresses, including chilling and freezing temperatures, are among the major abiotic stresses that severely reduce plant yield, quality, and marketability and pose a serious threat to plant production during whole plant life cycles. Plant-environment-symbiont interactions determine the s...

Water deficit is projected to be intensified by climate change and hydrological cycle imbalance, drastically reducing crop yield and quality as the main human concern for food supply, security, and nutrition. On stress perception, a wide array of signaling pathways targets plant molecular responses by regulating gene expression and transcription fa...

As metaorganisms, plants are in close multi-symbiotic relationships with fungal and bacterial symbionts. In all organisms, protein processing and homeostasis control all aspects of life. Activity of heat-shock proteins (HSPs), RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and molecular chaperones differentially regulate stress responses by protecting protein structu...

Drought stress-induced sensing-signaling pathways trigger post-translational modifications of chromatin, transcription factors and gene transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory networks in order to mitigate damaging effects of stress by activating plant defense mechanisms. Regulation of gene expression and metabolic engineering of plants...

Plants have evolved protective mechanisms in response to stress conditions in which the stress-associated (activated or suppressed) signaling pathways induce biosynthesis of metabolites to maintain their molecular and cellular activities. At specific stress conditions, the interacting internal (such as plant species, genotype, metabolite compositio...

The growth and yield of plants are affected by multiple factors, such as biotic and abiotic stresses, i.e., salinity, water stress, high and low extreme temperatures, heavy metals, and nutrient stress, which may cause a reduction in crop productivity.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) belongs to the Solanaceae family, and it is one of the most widely produced vegetable crops in the world. Tomato fruit is used in fresh consumption, cooked, and for processing (canning, juice, pulp, paste, and sauces). Several studies have shown strong inverse correlations between tomato consumption and the risk of...

Undoubtedly, land degradation linked to desertification causes a decrease in qualitative and quantitative features of natural resources. This research aimed to assess land desertification by local residents and their role in controlling desertification in Isfahan province, Iran in 2016. The criteria were soil climate, vegetation, erosion, and demog...

Light and temperature are among the environmental factors affecting germination of seeds and seedling growth. Therefore, this experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of light (light, dark, and combined light and dark) and temperature (15, 20, 25, and 30 C) treatments on seed germination indices and physiological traits of stevia. With inc...

Drought stress is considered one of the major constraints to crop production with devastating effects worldwide. Methylglyoxal (MG) homeostasis plays an essential role in promoting plant growth, development, metabolic adaptation, signal transduction, and thereby responses to drought stress. Manipulation of genes encoding aldose-aldehyde reductases...

Intensified by global warming, heat stress is one of the major concerns in many farmlands that severely disturb plant productivity. Plant genetic engineering by regulating heat shock proteins, RNA-binding proteins, and molecular chaperones is an efficient strategy for maintaining plant productivity under heat stress conditions. Plant performance an...

Shallots widely grow in very cold to moderate cold temperate climates at high elevations. Due to low seed production rate and the lack of seed producing cultivars, in most cases, shallots are vegetatively propagated by using bulb material. Cultivation of high-quality true shallot seeds (TSS) under suitable environmental conditions and agricultural...

A 2-year field experiment using a randomized complete block design with the treatments arranged as split-split-plot with three replicates was conducted to investigate the effects of different sowing dates. Different irrigation regimes and different triticale cultivars were tested during 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. Under cutting off irrigation at...

In order to study the effect of seed quality (SQ), seed rate (SR), and nitrogen rate (NR) on yield and yield components of wheat, an experiment was conducted as a factorial-split plot based on the randomized complete block design with four replications in Golestan Province, Iran. Treatments included the combination of SR and NR (recommended rate, 1...

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) is an important cover crop and green manure in dryland cropping system of Mediterranean regions. A delay in the onset of rainfall during autumn can inhibit hairy vetch seed germination, which exposes its early growth stages to low-temperature stress. The present study was carried out in a completely randomized design wit...

Two separate experiments, one as drought stress conditions and the other one as the normal irrigation conditions based on randomized complete block design with three replications were implemented to examine 20 triticale (Triticoseclae wittamack X) genotypes of which 19 genotypes have recently been generated by crossing different parent lines and th...

The growth, yield and fruit quality of 7-year-old trees of “Sahahmiveh” pear grafted on six rootstocks, including four quinces (QA, QB, QC, and PQBA29) and an Iranian native pear “Konjoni,” and a wild-type European pear (Pyrus communis L.), were evaluated in a completely randomized design trial with three replications at the Agricultural Research C...

Although application of salicylic acid (SA) to various plants grown on saline soils has been examined adequately, the effect of SA on changes during grain filling period has not been studied in details. In this 2-year field study, the grain-filling pattern of barley has been monitored as affected by different SA concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, an...

In order to study the effects of foliar applications of methanol (0, 15, and 30%) and NaCl salinity (0, 50, and 100 mM) on some physiological characteristics of Lavandula stoechas L. plants, a pot experiment was carried out at the Research Greenhouse of Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. Physiological characteristics (stem and leaf dry weights, t...

Thirty-four sugar beet drought-tolerant half-sib families were screened in greenhouse experiment under saline (16 dSm⁻¹) and normal conditions, and a subset of 10 tolerant genotypes were selected for evaluating of yield-related traits, Na⁺, K⁺, and α-amino-N nitrogen contents under saline field condition (12 dSm⁻¹). Drought-tolerant genotypes showe...

In this paper, the establishment and growth of medicinal species Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. were studied through inoculation with two mycorrhizal fungi species, Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices, in arid/semi-arid Bahar-Kish rangelands, Iran in 2012 and 2013. The root colonization percentage of Ziziphora, as well as their establishment and...

Biological bacteria alleviate the adverse effects of osmotic stress under salinity conditions by different processes. In the present research, factorial test was performed based on complete randomized block design and the effect of two types of bacteria azotobacter and azospirillum and five salinity levels of 0, 4, 6, 8, 12 dS/m in nutrients, fresh...

In order to evaluate the effect of vermicompost and vermiwash biofertilizers on the traits of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum) plant, a field experiment of a randomized complete block design with 8 treatments and 3 replications was conducted. The treatments consisted of control without fertilizer, vermicompost at 5, 10, and 15 tons per hectare, vermiw...

The effects of silicon (Si) and salicylic acid (SA) applications on proline content and expression of Δ¹-pyrrolin-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) were examined under different drought levels and different drought exposure times. Two wheat cultivars, a drought tolerant and a drought sensitive were used. The experiment was a factorial based on comple...

Governed by environmental stimuli and internal signaling cascades, stomatal movement determines water use efficiency and CO2 assimilation for photosynthesis under normal and stressful conditions, most importantly under water scarcity. Manipulation of these signaling pathways is one way to optimize plant resilience/tolerance and performance under co...