Intercropping of pearl millet and Common vetch was studied at Research Station of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz in 1999. The experimental design was randomized complete block with 3 replications. The treatments consisted of constant density of pearl millet with 15 kg/ha and three density of Common vetch with 50, 70, 90 kg/ha and their combinations with the total of seven treatments. Intercropping system was additine. On the basis of standard LER, intercropping of pearl millet var. Nutrifeed with the third level of Common vetch (90 kg/ha) was better than other the combinations. Its LER was 1.56. In some intercropping treatments, pearl millet yield in the second harvest was more than the first one. It seems that pearl millet exploited nitrogen remained prom vetch and decreased its interplant competition. Pure stand of Common vetch was worthy of recommendation because of shorter growth period, optimum yield, better forage quality and improved soil fertility.

millets have short growth cycle, and tolerant to drought and salt conditions, so they are good candidate to produce fodder in marginal lands. There are many millet landraces in the country. Development and extension of new varieties and farms or changing in cropping patterns result to extinct local landraces. This study was conducted to collect of millets landraces all over the country. Totally, 140 accessions were collected consisted of 85 accessions of Common millet, and 55 accessions of foxtail from 15 provinces. Geographical altitude of the collection sites differed from 820 to 1970 m. Some millet germplasms collected from high salty lands. Statistically, as well as correlation coefficients were calculated for 25 characteristics of the collection site and 10 seed traits. There were good levels of diversity for seed traits in 2 studied crops. Endosperm texture differed from completely waxy to completely starchy in the 2 species. Pearson correlation coefficients showed there was a positive significant correlation between geographical altitude and grain color (p<0.01, r= 0.583), in the fox tail millets. During this study the Iranian millet genetic resources increased to 90% of the first collection. Since there were high levels of genetic diversity for grain characters, it can be expected for other agro-morphological traits too, that makes the collection suitable for millet breeding.

To investigate the stablity of Common millet, five new Common millet promising lines with a control (Pishahang) were cultivated in six locations (Karaj, Birjand, Gonbad, Yazd, Iranshahr and Sari) across two years in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results of combined analysis for studied traits (number of tillers, number of leaves, days to flowering, height, fresh forage yield, dry forage yield and seed yield) showed that the cultivars and environments main effect and intraction between cultivars and environments were statistically significant. Total mean of fresh forage yield was 29. 74 t/ha and the average yield of all the cultivars except KCM92/3 and KCM92/4 was lower than total mean. The results of the stability analysis by GGE biplot partitioned the testing environments into two mega-environments with KCM92/4 and Pishahang as superior genotypes. According to discriminate ability and representativeness, the E5 and E6 environments were perfect. Overall, the results of this study indicated that KCM92/4 is high-yielding genotyp and has good stability across the studied environments.

Water deficiency has increased the demand for cultivation of drought tolerant crops. In dry regions like most parts of Iran, ecotypes and local varieties often show a high degree of drought resistance. The experiment was arranged in a split plot based on a randomized completely block design that drought stress (50, 75 and 100% field capacity) were considered as main plot and genotype (Rabor, Golbaf and Pishahang) as subplot. The results showed that the traits of leaf water potential, reduction sugar, biological yield and grain yield significantly affected with drought stress at level of 1%. The simple effect of genotype was significant for mentioned traits and photosynthetic pigments. Based on variance analysis, the interaction of genotype×stress was significant only for ion leakage and biological yield. The results of mean comparison showed that drought stress significantly (P≤ 0. 01) decreased biological yield, leaf water content and grain yield, while, ion leakage and reducing sugar contents were significantly increased. The highest biological yield was belonged to Pishahang cultivar in both of normal and stress conditions. Simple correlation among the traits showed that biological yield, relative water content and reduced sugars were the most effective traits on grain yield. In overall, the results showed that Golbaf genotype had the highest grain yield in comparison with Pishahang and Rabor genotypes under water stress conditions.

Research was conducted during 1999 to 2009 to develop and introduce a new Common millet (Panicum miliaceum) cultivar suitable for areas with short growing seasons in Iran. Several Common millet populations collected from different locations of Iran were evaluated in research farm of Seed and Plant Improvement Institute in Karaj and based on yield, agronomic traits and tolerance to abiotic stresses such loding, 21 superior lines were selected. During years 2000 to 2009, these lines were evaluated in different research experiments in Karaj, Gorgan and Dezful and also in farmers fields in Yazd, Kerman and Zabol, finally a superior line coded as KCM7 was selected. Based on the results of these experiments, the new line was early maturing with high and stable fresh forage yield of 35.5 tha-1 and dry forage yield of 7.6 tha-1. The panicle length of KCM7 is 26.87 cm, its 1000 seed weight is 4.2 g with yellow color seeds and yield of 1.69 tha-1. Line KCM7 was officially introduced in 2009 by Seed and Plant Improvement Institute after approval of Seed Registration Committee of Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization with name of Pishahang as the first Common millet cultivar in Iran.

To investigate the effect of different irrigation regimes and bio-fertilizers application on morphological, physiological, yield and yield components of two millet cultivars, an experiment was conducted as split factorial based on complete randomized blocks design with four replications on the research farm of Fereydunshahr, Esfahan province in 2016. In this experiment, irrigation regimes were considered as the main plots with three levels (100, 75 and 50 percent of plant water requirement) while bio-fertilizer (with three levels including control, using 1 or 0. 5 L. ha-1 Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum brasilense as seed inoculation) and millet cultivars (including Golbaf and Bastan) were arranged as factorial sub plots. The results of varience analysis showed that plant height, days to maturity, relative water content, biological yield, number of panicles per plant, number of seeds per panicle, the thousand-seed weight, grain yield, harvest index were significantly decreased under the water deficit stress. The highest seed yield obtained in non-stressed treatments by using 1 liter of bio fertilizer while the lowest was observed under the severe deficit water stress without bio fertilizer which indicates a 63. 2% reduction in seed yield due to the severe water. According to the results of this experiment, the application of bio fertilizer could reduce the harmful effects of water stress on yield and yield components in both millet varieties. Bastan cultivar showed greater biological and seed yield advantage over Golbaf cultivar under different irrigation regimes including with or without bio-fertilizers.

Background and Objectives: Intercropping systems play an important role in increasing crop quality, yield and environmental quality through the optimal use of soil, light and water nutrients. Due to the importance of intercropping for sustainable agricultural development, this study will be conducted in order to investigate the intercropping of Common millet-cowpea under the alternative and incremental model. Materials and Methods: This experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete blocks design with three replications to evaluate the yield and yield components of Common millet (v. Pishahang) and cow pea (v. Mashhad) in intercropping. Treatments included 100% Common millet (control), 100% cow pea (control), 25% Common millet + 75% cow pea, 50% Common millet + 50% cow pea, 75% Common millet + 25% cow pea, 100% Common millet +25% cow pea, 25% Common millet + 100% cow pea, 100% Common millet + 50% cow pea and 50% Common millet + 100% cow pea. The studied traits were yield and yield components for both plants. Also, LER calculated for both plants. Results: The results of mean comparison of Common millet showed that tiller number in Common millet in 75% Common millet + 25% cowpea and 100% Common millet + 50% cowpea and seed number in plant in 25% Common millet + 100% cowpea as compared to control (100% Common millet) had the highest increase (41% and 40%, respectively) and the highest decrease (86%) among studied traits, respectively. It was also found that seed yield of Common millet in 75% Common millet + 25% cowpea and 25% Common millet + 100% cowpea when compared to control (100% Common millet) had the most increase (24%) and the most decrease (31%). Also, the results of cluster analysis in Common millet showed that eight cultivated ratios were divided into three clusters and two cultivated ratios 50% Common millet + 50% cowpea and 50% Common millet + 100% cowpea were introduced as the best cultivated ratios in Common millet. In addition, it was found that seed yield of cowpea decreased in all cultivated ratios with compared to control. However, the greatest decrease was in the cultivated ratios 25% cowpea+ 100% Common millet and 25% cowpea+ 75% Common millet. The cluster analysis results in cowpea showed that the eight cultivated ratios were divided into two clusters, and two cultivated ratios, control (100% cowpea) and 100% cowpea+ 25% Common millet were known as the best cultivated ratios of cowpea. By calculating the land equivalent ratio found that this parameter was more than one in all cultivated ratios, which showed the superiority of mixed cultivation. However, the land equivalent ratio in the cultivated ratios 75% millet + 25% cowpea and 25% millet + 100% cowpea had the highest and lowest land equivalent ratio, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that the Common millet with cowpea intercropping increased yield and yield components compared to monoculture. The best additive intercropping treatment was 50% Common millet + 50% cowpea and 50% Common millet + 100% cowpea. LER was much higher than one in all of the intercropping ratios, which indicates an increase in agricultural efficiency and usefulness of different ratios of intercropping crops of Common millet and cowpea compared to their pure culture.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate yield potential of 10 Common millet (Panicum miliaceum) genotypes using a RCB design with 3 replications in Karaj, Dezful and Gorgan during a 3 year period (2000-2002).Each experimental plot consisted of four rows. Cultural and harvest procedures were those Commonly used for Common millet yield trails at each location. Data were recorded on traits such as number of tillers per plant, leaf number per plant, stem diametere, days to 50% flowering, panicle length, seed number per panicle, 1000- seed weight, and varietal responses to pests and diseases. Combined analyses of variance were performed for all traits using statistical software of MSTATC. Results indicated that there were significant differences for all traits among genotypes at 0.01 probability level except for number of tillers, days to 50% flowering and forage yield. Mean comparisons showed that gen. 2 with 9.2 leaves, gen. 9 with the stem diameter of 8.45 mm, gen. 10 with panicle length of 35.7 cm, gen. 9 with 1111 seeds per panicle, gen. 9 with 1000- seed weight of 5.16 g, and gen. 3 with the seed yield of 1.859 T/ha had the highest values among the other genotypes. According to the classification of the genotypes based on the mean of traits and considering the lodging and natural shedding percent and responses of each genotype to biotic stresses such as bird damage, The genotypes Kcm2, Kcm7 and Kcm9 were identifies as desirable genotypes for Karaj. The genotypes Kcm5, Kcm8 and Kcm9 were also selected as the best genotypes in Gorgan. The only genotype which was selected in Dezful was the genotype Kcm9.

Introduction: The cultivation of crops in most parts of the world, in addition to competing with different weed species, is affected by a variety of environmental stresses, including salinity stress. The changes in the growth rate and production of crops under the influence of salinity stress and competition with weeds have been extensively studied. However, what is currently less investigated is the competition of several species of weeds with crops and the competition of crops with weeds under salt stress. Therefore, the aim of this experiment was to evaluate the competition between tumble pigweed, Common purslaneand and Common millet under soil salinity stress. Material and methods: This study was conducted as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Experimental treatments consisted of two rates of soil salinity (3 and 10 dS. m-1), and different ratios of interference of the three species (tumble pigweed, Common purslaneand, millet) including 0-0-100, 0-25-75, 12. 5-12. 5-75, and 25-0-75, 50-0-50, 25-25-50, 0-50-50, 75-0-25, 37. 5-37. 5-25, 0-75-25, 0-100-0, 50-50-0 and 0-100-0. The desired density in each pot was constant and equal to 8 plants. After preparing the soil and passing through a 2 mm sieve, fertilizer and saline solutions were added to the soil and the soil was transferred to 5 kg pots. Then all three plants were planted and attained to intended density at the four leaf stage. At the end of the experiment, each plant species was separately harvested from each pot and were weighed after complete drying. Finally, for analyzing the results of the experiment, relative yield indicators, total relative yield (Land Equal Ratio), relative crowding and agressivity indices were used. Results and discussion: The results showed that increasing soil salinity decreased the dry matter produced by Common millet, tumble pigweed and Common purslane by 19. 5, 4. 7 and 27. 8 percent, respectively. Comapring the relative yield of millet with those of tumble pigweed and Common purslane and also both weeds together by different ratios of planting showed that these values were more than predicted ones under either 3 or 10 dS. m-1 salinity level, which indicates the weak competitive ability of these two weeds against millet. The results of the relative crowding index of species showed that in the ratio of 75% of millet and 12. 5% tumble pigweed and 12. 5% of Common purslane, the greatest rate of relative crowding index was achieved for millet under salinity level of 3 dS. m-1. Also, the greatest relative crowding index of tumble pigweed and Common purslane under either salinity level was observed with the cultivated ratio of 75% for both weeds and 25% for millet, suggesting an increased competitive ability of these two weed species through increasing their density even under a higher level of soil salinity. By evaluating the agressivity index between tumble pigweed and purselane, it was found that this value was negative for purselane under the salinity level of 3 dS. m-1. Therefore, it seems that tumble pigweed is more competitive than the Common purslane where both weed species grow together. Conclusion: In general, the results of this study showed that in conditions of salinity of 3 and 10 dS. m-1, Common millet had more competitive ability than the two studied weeds, but with increasing salinity level, competitive ability of millet was reduced, while it increased weeds competitiveness. Therefore, in the situation of high weed densities, we may expect a greater damage to crops under salinity stress.