Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis L.) is an evergreen, difficult-to-root ornamental plant with plentiful applications in green spaces. One of the effective methods in plants propagation is the use of hormonal compounds such as indole butyric acid. Despite the positive effects of these hormones on rooting process, their chemical nature causing environmental risks. Thus, the use of alternative natural compounds with favorable influence to create environmental health and living creatures is important. This experiment was conducted to examine the impact of natural carbohydrate compounds and chemical hormonal compounds on the rooting traits of bougainvillea in the research greenhouse of Gorgan Agricultural Research Center and in the Horticulture Laboratory of Department of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agriculture Science and Natural Resources, Iran in 2015-2016. The study was based on a Completely Randomized Design with six treatments (indole butyric acid (IBA), aspirin pills, LD pills, natural honey, grape syrup, and gum Arabic), each at four rates, and a control with five replications, each one including five cuttings. The natural and chemical treatments influenced rooting traits including rooting percentage, the number of primary and secondary roots, primary root length, root fresh and dry weight, and survival rate of the cuttings significantly at the 1% level. The treatments of 4000 ppm IBA and 10% grape syrup exhibited significant differences with other studied treatments, control, and displayed the best quantity and quality of the rooting. However, 20% gum Arabic and honey, 4 pills L-1 (320 mg L-1) aspirin, and 4 pills L-1 (0.72 mg L-1) LD were related to the best rooting of the cuttings as compared to other treatments and control. Given the effectiveness of natural compounds like grape syrup on the rooting of bougainvillea cuttings, because of the natural and non-chemical nature, their cost-effectiveness, organic and friendly environmentally it is recommended to use them. پرونده مقاله

Petroleum hydrocarbons are one of the most common pollutants groups in the environment and threaten the human, animals and plants health. Phytoremediation is a method for cleaning the contaminated areas. Medicinal plants because of their defense mechanisms able to resist and thwart destructive effect of stressors. Some plants have better resistance, including Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) and Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L.); from Asteraceae family that has polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant properties and hepatoprotectors. To evaluation the growth potential of Artichoke and Milk Thistle in petroleum-contaminated soil, an experiment in a completely randomized design was done with 6 levels of gas oil and 3 replications in Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The results showed that, gas oil hydrocarbon had a significant effect at %1 on germination percent of seed and indexes involved in seedling growth including plant height, length, and width, fresh and dry weight of artichoke leaf. In Milk Thistle, gas oil had no significant effect on germination percent. Opposite to that, significant effect at %1 on growth indexes was observed. The maximum germination percent in Artichoke and Milk Thistle seeds was observed in 20 and 10 g/kg gas oil, respectively and the minimum of germination percent was observed in seeds samples that treated with 80 g gas oil per kg soil. Artichoke seedlings were more tolerance than Milk Thistle to the contaminated soil as better growth was observed in this condition. Generally, it seems that these two valuable medicinal plants had relatively resistance to the gas oli pollution and are suggestible to use in oil contaminated soil for cleaning purpose پرونده مقاله