Titanium (Ti) is a very interesting chemical element, especially physiologically. Although Ti is not toxic for animals and humans, its effects on plants show remarkable concentration dependence. Whereas for plants, it shows beneficial effects on various physiological parameters at low doses. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of bulk and nanoparticles titanium foliar application on some agronomic traits, seed gluten and starch contents of wheat under water deficit stress conditions during 2010-2011 growing seasons. The experimental design was randomized in complete blocks arranged in split-split plots with four replications. The factors included normal irrigation, water deficit stress (irrigation withholding at two growing stages of stem elongation and flowering), two growing stages for water deficit stress induction and titanium applications, five titanium concentrations, sources including control of titanium oxide (bulk), and three concentrations of 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.03% of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Plant height, ear weight, ear number, seed number, 1000-seed weight, final yield, biomass, harvest index, gluten, and starch contents were assayed. The results showed that water deficit stress caused significant decrease in plant growth, yield and yield components. In addition, among the different titanium treatments, titanium dioxide nanoparticles at 0.02% increased almost all agronomic traits including gluten and starch content. Thus, the application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles under conditions of water deficit stress is recommended.

Tests were done on the effects of treatments of titanium dioxide spray on corn (Zea mays L.). The study was conducted as a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Treatments consisted of two factors; the first factor was stage of plant growth that spraying was applied (vegetative stage, appearance of male flowers and female flowers); and the second factor was that of different concentrations of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (Tio2) that consisted of spray with water (control), titanium dioxide or bulk, nano titanium dioxide at concentrations of 0.01% and 0.03%. Results showed that effect of nano Tio2 was significant on chlorophyll content (a and b), total chlorophyll (a + b), chlorophyll a/b, carotenoids and anthocyanins. The maximum amount of pigment was recorded from the treatment of nano Tio2 spray at the reproductive stage (appearance of male and female flowers) in comparison with control. Thus, an application of nanoparticles (nanao Tio2) can facilitate an increase in crop yield, especially corn yield.

To assess the response of promising safflower genotypes to late-season drought stress in delayed planting conditions, an experiment was conducted in two years (2016–2017 and 2017–2018) in Iran. The irrigation regime was specified in two levels, including normal irrigation and irrigation cut off in the seed filling stage in main plots, and five safflower genotypes, including Soffe, Goldasht, Golmehr, Padideh, and Parnian were categorized in subplots. Applied drought stress significantly reduced the seed yield and yield components of all genotypes, which accompanied with a substantial decrease in oil content and oil yield of all genotypes. However, the highest seed and oil yield in drought stress conditions obtained in the Parnian genotype by value 2338 and 561 kg/ha, respectively. Moreover, a significant drought-induced increase in palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids, as well as a decrease in linoleic acid content, was observed in all genotypes. Parnian genotype with high unsaturated fatty acids content (90.9%) and the minimum amount of saturated fatty acids (8.7%) might be a promising genotype to starting a formal crop improvement program to achieve more drought-tolerant safflower genotype.

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In order to investigate the composition of borage (Borago officinalis L.) seed oil, this research was performed under the field conditions at Shahriyar and Garmsar zones, Iran during the 2012 planting year. The oil yield of borage was 31.46% and 33.7% at Shahriyar and Garmsar zone, respectively, and nine and eight fatty acids were identified in the seed oil of borage at Shahriyar and Garmsar, respectively - palmitic, linoleic, stearic and γ-linolenic acids were dominant in the seed oil of borage from both zones. Unsaturated fatty acid content was more than the saturated fatty acids in both zones. The ratio of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid in the borage cultivated at Shahriyar and Garmsar zones was 2.13 and 2.29. The fatty acid profile of Garmsar borage, oleic and oleic/linoleic acid ratio, increased. Locations with different ecological conditions resulted in changes in both seed oil content and fatty acid profile of borage.