In order to study the genetic control of resistance to COMMON smut in maize, two resistant inbred lines, K1264/1 and K47/2-2-21 and two susceptible inbred lines, K3304/1-2 and K47/2-2-1-3-3-1, were crossed as K1264/1 × K3304/1-2, K47//2-2-21 × K3304/1-2 and K1264/1 × K47/2-2-1-3-3-1. The F1, F2, BC1 and BC2 progenies were produced and evaluated along with parents using randomized compelet block design with three replications. All generations were artificially inoculated with spordia of Ustilago maydis suspension. Inoculation was carried out 7-10 days after silking through injection of 3 ml of 106 spores/ml fungal suspension, using tip injection method. At maturity, disease severity was determined based on ears infection and analysed according to generation means analysis method for three crosses. Joint scaling test showed that the presence of additive, dominance and epistasis effects, especially additive × additive and dominance × dominance type, and in lesser extent, additive × dominance, in genetic control of resistance to maize COMMON smut. Average broad and narrow-sense heritability based on three crosses data were estimated 80.3 and 57.3, respectively.

This experiment was conducted to study drought tolerance in different genotypes of FLAX (Linum usitatissimum L.), including 10 breeding lines and five landraces. The genotypes were separately evaluated under two irrigation regimes based on 70 and 140 mm evaporation from class A Pan. The experiments were carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farm of Isfahan University of Technology, in 2009. The results of analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences (P<0.01) among the genotypes for water stress indices and seed yield. According to the assessment of different water stress indices (SSI, STI, TOL, GMP and MP) STI seems to be the most suitable index for recognizing the more drought tolerant genotypes. Based on STI index, Chaharmahal landrace was the most tolerant genotype and the breeding line of KO10 was the most sensitive one. Seed yield for Chaharmahal landrace was 1468 and 1335 kg/ha while genotype KO10 produced 527and 111 kg/ha in the first and second irrigation treatments, respectively.

The use of zeolite was investigated to improve the environmental condition of COMMON carp. The fingerlings of 13 grams were tested in 4 treatments. Each treatment contained 60 fish and 3 replications, in RBD experiment design. The treatment was performed 20, 40, 80 and 120 mg/l and one without zeolite as control. EC, T, O2 and salinity was equal but the amount of No2, NO3, NH4 and total hardness, was lower in zeolite treatment compared to the control group. Other parameters such as TDS, pH and sulfide were not different. The results showed that using zeolite can improve the water condition but the SGR, PER, FCR and total weight, in spite of pronounced difference between the dosage of 8 and 120 mg/l, the difference was not significant. In treatment of 80 mg/l, weight increased for 31%, GR for 29%, SGR for 29%, PER for 42%, more than the control group. FCR in the control group was 3.07 while in treatment with 80 mg/l zeolite, it was 2.34.The present study showed by using zeolite and by good management to improve the water condition, it is possible to improve the growth parameters of fish.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a well-known renewable and biodegradable polymer but is still limited by its low heat distortion temperature and brittleness. In this study, a PLA/FLAX composite containing FLAX fiber strands (5 wt%) was prepared through melt-compounding process followed by gamma irradiation at doses ranging from 0 to 20 kGy in the presence of a small amount of triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) as cross-linking agent. The gel fraction of the composite was tested, and the datum showed that the gel fraction sharply increased first, and then slightly decreased with increasing irradiation dose. Gamma irradiation induced cross-linking of the polymer to form a three-dimensional network in the PLA/FLAX composite system. Irradiated composite could only swell instead of dissolving completely in chloroform, and the swollen morphology correlated with irradiation dose. The thermal stability of the PLA/FLAX composite was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) temperature, and dimensional stability. Overall, irradiation modification improved the thermal resistance and dimensional stability of PLA composites. The mechanical property tests of the irradiated composites revealed increased tensile and impact strengths, reduced elongation-at-break, and unchanged tensile modulus. The analysis of water absorption of the composite demonstrated that the irradiation cross-linking induced no obvious effect on water absorption. Irradiation cross-linking modification cannot change the hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of PLA composites. Overall, these findings look promising for future use in reinforcement and improvement of the thermal resistance of PLA/FLAX composites.

Background: Linseed (seed of FLAX) contains high amounts of 00-3 Fatty acids, whichis said to have antihyperlipidemic effects.Materials and Methods: In this study, blood lipid levels (Triglycerids, Cholesterol, LDL, HDL) of 56 hyperlipidemic patients were measured before and after Linseed administration (6 gr linseed powder daily as a biscuit formulation for 3 months as a supplementation to their simple diet). The results were analyzed by t-test using SPSS software.Results: There were some decreases in the mean level of serum total cholesterol (about 10% decrease, P=0.001), mean serum triglyceride (about 12% decrease, P=0.001), and mean serum LDL (about 10% decrease, P=0.001) before and after Linseed administration. The total- Cholesterol/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios decreased concordantly as well. However, there was no significant alteration in serum HDL level after linseed administration.Conclusion: Linseed administration combined with a simple diet, clinically decreases blood lipid levels. Hence, supplementation of simple diet with 6 gr Linseed powder daily, seems to be helpful in reducing patients blood lipid levels.

New-edible oil genotypes of FLAX can have contribution in oil seed production. Powdery mildew (Oidium lini) is one of the FLAX diseases Isfahan region that completely infect the crop. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of controlling the disease on seed yield and other agronomic traits of FLAX. In this study, 8 edible-oil genotypes along with a landrace variety of regular FLAX were evaluated in two adjacent experiments using randomized complete block design with 4 replications. In one of the experiment, the disease was completely controlled by spraying with Calixin in 3 times with interval of 15 days. However, in the other experiment, there was no controlling of the disease and the plants were infected in natural field conditions. The results showed that spraying with fungicide had a significant effect only on plant height (P<0.01) and 100-seed weight (P<0.05). Plant height and 100-seed weight (P<0.05). Plant height and 100-seed weight was decreased and increased, respectively due to spraying. There was no significant interaction effect between spraying and genotypes for any trait. Base upon the results of this experiment, the occurrence of powdery mildew at the final stages of growth in FLAX and at Isfahan climatical conditions, had no significant negative effect on agronomic traits such as seed yield.

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of some trap crop on Egyptian broomrape damage reduction in tomato. A randomized complete block design with four replications was carried out in Agronomy Faculty, University of Tehran, Karaj, during 2008 & 2009. In the first year, seven trap crops including Egyptian clover, sesame, mungbean COMMON FLAX, garlic, cotton, and black-eyed pea were cultivated in pots and harvested at the end of the season. In the next year tomato transplants were cultivated in the same pots and after two months, pots were evaluated. Shoot and root weight of tomato, weight and number of tomato fruit, stem and tuber dry weight of broom rape, number of stems and tubers of broomrape were measured. Results showed that sesame, COMMON FLAX and Black-eyed pea had the most significant decrease in broomrape dry weight separately 98.6, 75.2, and 74.4 percent and number of broomrape stems respectively 100, 83.5 and 50.9 compared to without trap crop treatment and subsequently caused increasing in tomato yield. These plants have the great potential to broomrape damage reduction and can be used in rotation in infested soils with broomrape seeds.