This experiment carried out as split plot factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications during two consecutive years (2015–2016). The main plot consisted of drought stress: complete irrigation, irrigation withholding at R1 stage, irrigation withholding at R2 stage and subplots included foliar application of micronutrients: distilled water (control), zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate and zinc sulfate + manganese sulfate and cultivar as: Williams and Zan elite. The results showed that proline and linoleic acid were increased significantly, but chlorophyll a and b, seed yield, protein percentage, oleic and linolenic acids were decreased significantly by irrigation withholding. Also, the maximum values of chlorophyll b, protein percentage and linolenic acid were achieved by Williams. The significant increasing effect of zinc was found on the maximum root and stem proline, chlorophyll b, and oleic, linolenic and linoleic unsaturated fatty acids, meanwhile the maximum leaf proline was obtained by manganese sulfate.

Soil amendment with biochar could increase soil microbial activity and biomass. This study contributes to an understanding of the synergistic effects of biochar and phosphate solubilizing microorganisms on safflower yield and soil microbial activity enhancement. In the split plot experiments that repeated in two years, the main factor was biochar types included cow manure, wheat straw, wood biochar and control. The sub factors were phosphate solubilizing microorganisms included the mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus etunicatum and G. mosseae), Bacillus lentus, Pseudomonas fluorescence and control. The highest levels of dehydrogenase, urease activity and microbial biomass carbon were obtained from the cow manure biochar. The maximum activity of acid phosphatase was in the plots inoculated by P. fluorescence in all treatments, whether using or not using biochar. The grain yield of plants inoculated with B. lentus and P. fluorescence was in the same statistical group. The highest grain yield equal to 1527 kg/ha was obtained when using cow manure biochar. According to the results, the application of cow manure biochar and phosphate solubilizing microorganisms, especially mycorrhiza species, can be recommended for improving soil biological traits and safflower yield traits.

Wild relatives of wheat are potential sources of valuable genetic materials for wheat improvement. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of wild relative species of wheat is crucial for their conservation and utilization. The objective of the current study was to investigate the genetic diversity of inter and intra species of Triticum monococcum ssp. aegilopoides (AA), Aegilops tauschii (DD) and Aegilops cylindrica (CCDD) originating from northern and western Iran. Thirty microsatellite (SSR) markers belonging to A, B, C and D genomes were used for analysis and 20 found to be polymorphic within and between species. The SSR markers generated a total number of 180 alleles with an average of 9 alleles per locus in 21 genotypes. The genetic diversity for all loci ranged from 0.74-0.90 with an average of 0.83. The highest genetic diversity was estimated for Xgwm186 and Xgwm205 which the latter could amplify in the A, D and CD genomes of T. monococcum, Ae. tauschii and Ae. cylindrica, respectively. In addition, the number of bands generated by Xgwm205 along with other four markers in Ae. cylindrica (CD) was two-fold than that of Ae. tauschii (D). Polymorphic information content ranged from 0.7-0.89 with an average of 0.82. The dendrogram obtained from the neighbor-joining method divided the genotypes of the three species into three distinctive groups. It can be concluded that SSR markers can be useful not only in differentiating wild species of wheat possessing A, D and C genomes, but also in assessing the genetic variation of genotypes within these species.