Abstract Muscari with absorbing color is a widespread and commercial species. As a pot and bedding bulb flower has excellent adaptability and vigorous growth in late winter and early spring. The quantity and uniformity of Muscari propagation by seed and the importance of seed priming will be measured in current experiment. The selected M. neglectum populations which already were gathered in our previews research and M. armeniacum were evaluated under separated sulfuric acid (5, 15, and 20 min) and hot water (5, 15, and 20 min) scarification plus 15, 30, and 45 days stratification in a completely randomized design, four replications were planted in separate containers. Seeds of M. armeniacum only germinate (70%) by 15 min sulfuric acid plus 45-day stratification treatments. Based on the analysis of variance and mean comparison data that only were reported in M. neglectum, their seeds optimally germinated by 5 and 15 min sulfuric acid treatment plus 45-day stratification. In conclusion, M. neglectum seeds germination is tuned to take place well in mid-winter under natural conditions; on the other hand, 45 days of lengthy constant stratification and 5 min sulfuric acid priming will accelerate M. neglectum seeds germination.

Resumo Muscari é uma espécie amplamente difundida e comercial. Como planta de vaso e bulbo, a flor tem excelente adaptabilidade e crescimento vigoroso no final do inverno e início da primavera. A quantidade e uniformidade da propagação de Muscari por sementes e a importância do condicionamento fisiológico das sementes serão medidas no presente experimento. As populações selecionadas de M. negligenciaum que já foram reunidas em nossas pesquisas prévias e M. armeniacum foram avaliadas sob ácido sulfúrico (5, 15 e 20 min) e água quente (5, 15 e 20 min) escarificação mais 15, 30 min, e estratificação de 45 dias em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, 4 repetições foram plantadas em recipientes separados. Sementes de M. armeniacum só germinam (70%) após imersão por 15 min de ácido sulfúrico mais tratamentos de estratificação de 45 dias. Com base na análise de variância e nos dados de comparação de médias que foram relatados apenas em M. negligência, suas sementes germinaram de maneira ideal por 5 e 15 min de tratamento com ácido sulfúrico mais estratificação de 45 dias. Conclusão, a germinação das sementes de M. negligenciadum está ajustada para ocorrer bem no meio do inverno em condições naturais; por outro lado, 45 dias de longa estratificação constante e 5 min de condicionamento com ácido sulfúrico irão acelerar a germinação de sementes de M. negligencialum.

ABSTRACT The early stages of quinoa germination are sensitive to drought stress. For this purpose, a study entitled the effect of selenium in different concentrations on germination characteristics and some antioxidant enzymes of quinoa under drought stress conditions with polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) was investigated. The first experimental factor was seed priming with selenium (from two sources: sodium selenate and selenium nanoparticles: SeNPs ? 33.4 nm) at 0.5, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6 mg·L?1 concentrations, besides, no priming treatment was used as control. The second factor was drought stress with PEG 6000 in concentrations 0, –0.4, –0.8, and –1.2 MPa. Drought stress with accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) had a negative effect on most of the measured traits. In seeds that were primed with appropriate selenium concentrations, germination parameters and antioxidant enzyme activity as well as proline and protein content increased compared to the control treatment. Under conditions of severe stress (–1.2 MPa), the highest activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzymes was observed in prime with selenium nanoparticles at concentrations of 4.5, 6.0 and 4.5 mg·L?1, respectively. Concentrations higher than 3 mg·L?1 of selenium nanoparticles and concentrations of 3 mg·L?1 sodium selenate had the highest accumulation of photosynthetic pigments under control (stress-free) conditions. The present study shows that selenium priming can reduce the harmful effects of drought stress on quinoa by altering germination properties and biochemical properties.

This work aimed to study the grain yield components and plant characteristics related to grain yield. Twenty-four durum wheat genotypes from the ICARDA durum wheat breeding program were grown during 2006-2007 under rainfed and irrigated conditions using a complete randomized block design with three replicate in west of Iran. Correlation and path analysis were carried out. Results showed that there was strong positive association of grain yield with the number of seed/spike, biomass and harvest index. Grain yield was negatively associated with spike length and plant height in different moisture conditions. Comparatively, high genetic variation was found in grain yield and other characteristics. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used as a tool to classify the genotypes according to their grain yield ability under optimum and drought stress conditions. Among the genotypes, one of three groups of genotypes were characterized by high grain yield in optimum and drought stress conditions. These genotypes could be used as source of germplasm for breeding for drought tolerance.