To identify appropriate genotypes for breeding varieties suitable for semi-arid areas, yield components, as well as morphophonological traits of 127 safflower genotypes, were assessed at the Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Iran. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct groups. The largest group (third cluster) includes 48 genotypes with characteristics such as mostly yellow-coloured flowers, mostly thorny with few thistle genotypes, relatively early-flowering, relatively high number of heads and grains per plant, highest 1000-grain weight with the highest grain yields. In contrast, the smallest group (second cluster) contains 13 genotypes with characteristics such as yellow florets, semi-dwarf, thorny, moderately late-flowering, low number of heads per plant and number of grains per head, low 1000-grain weight, and low grain yield. Principal component analysis results showed that the three components accounted for 29.5, 15.9 and 11.1% of the total variation, respectively. Graphic representation of the biplots based on the first and second principal components showed that the experimental genotypes were classified into four groups. The results also indicated that stem diameter, the number of branches, heads per plant and grains per head had the highest correlation with the first component, and grain yield, flower colour, flowering initiation and plant height had the highest correlation with the second component. These traits can be considered as an appropriate index for the selection of elite safflower genotypes for breeding varieties suited to cultivation in semi-arid conditions.

Two field experiments were carried out during 2018–2019 at the Hamedan and Qom sites, which are different ecological locations of Iran. Hamedan was selected as a temperate climate and Qom as semi-arid to study some of the morphological and physiological traits of fodder beet in various climatic conditions. The experimental map was designed as a split–split-plot in the form of a randomized complete block with three replications. The main plots were assigned three levels of methanol (i.e., control, 15, and 30% by volume). The sub-plots were restricted to two glycine betaine (GB) concentrations (i.e., control and four grams per liter of methanol consumed, and the sub-sub-plots consisted of six different genotypes of fodder beet). The results showed that root length, root and foliage yield/ha, as well as sugar content increased with the incremental level of methanol and/or GB concentration. Foliar application of methanol and GB also significantly changed the qualitative parameters including sodium content, catalase value, crude protein percentage, and dry matter digestibility. It should be noted that two sites differed in most of the investigated traits, so that Hamedan treatment had a more active role on fodder beet growth, yield, and quality compared with Qom. Meanwhile, there was a significant difference between fodder beet genotypes. Generally, spraying fodder beet with 15%by volume methanol or GB with concentration of four grams per liter of methanol is the recommended treatment for raising forage yield under the ecological circumstances of this research.

There is little information on the impact of soil amendments on lead absorption by ornamental plants as phytoremediation and the antioxidant system. The experiment was set up in a factorial based on completely block design with three replications on Zinnia elegans. [Pb (NO₃) at (0, 40, 80, and 120 mg kg⁻¹), soil amendment (control, diethylene trinitrilo pentaacetic acid (DTPA) 2.5 mM, DTPA 5 mM, humic acid 200 mg. L⁻¹, and HA 400 mg. L⁻¹)]. Increased Pb concentration resulted in a significant rise in antioxidant enzymes, as well as an increase in Pb absorption by Z. elegans. DTPA 5 mM and HA 400 mg. L⁻¹ application lead to significantly higher shoot dry weight (49 and 56%), root dry weight (62 and 63%), catalase (CAT) (18 and 19%), peroxidase (POX) (63 and 67%), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (10 and 14%), and shoot Pb (36 and 33 mg.kg⁻¹) in the contaminated soil, respectively. With the application of DTPA and HA, the residual Pb in soil fell in a negative association with the remediation factor. Z. elegans growing in polluted soils treated with DTPA 5 mM and HA 400 mg. kg⁻¹ showed Pb tolerance by inducing an effective antioxidative response to Pb toxicity and enhancing Pb absorption for phytoremediation purposes.