This study aimed to examine the consequences of three regimes for irrigation on cucumber crops and their growth indication, production, and water productivity under greenhouse cultivation. Cucumber seedlings were planted in May 2018 under a greenhouse condition. Three regimes of drip irrigation were examined, first 100%, 80%, and 50% of ETc namely T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The second regime was systems of drip irrigation (sur-face and sub-surface irrigation). Finally, the third was dripper discharge which used (2 l/h and 4 l/h). Results indicated clearly that the best production was under 80% ETc regime by 2 l/h dripper for surface and subsurface that was 10.1 and 11.2 ton/greenhouse respectively with IR 172 m3/season and the best regime by using 4 l/h was 50% ETc for surface and sub-surface respectively  which was 11 and 11.5 ton/greenhouse with IR 216 m3/season which saved about half a quantity of irrigation water. On the other hand, the very best water productivity value (WP) was under 80% ETc was 58.7 and 65.4 kg/m3 under surface (S) and sub-surface (SS) drip irrigation respectively by 2 l/h dripper flow rate.

A series of lab and field experiments were carried out to evaluate the possibility of using some substances as adjuvants added to the foliar fertilizer tank to improve fertilizer application and enhance use efficiency. Each of the suggested substances was prepared in 10 concentrations treatments, ranging between 0.05 and 2g/L. The effect of each concentration on static surface tension and static contact angle in liquid/air/glass and solid plant leaves/air interface were used to evaluate and find out the optimum concentration of each substance to be used as an adjuvant. An Adjmix-D1 was pre-pared using 0.6g/L Triethanolamine and 0.6g/L liquid soap as surfactants, 0.6g/L glycerin as a humectant, 0.6 g/L Arabic gum as a sticker and 0.6g/L urea as a penetrator. The obtained results showed that fruit yield as well as N, K, Fe, Zn and Mn contents in white eggplants and cucumber leaves are positively increased by the applications of improved foliar fertilizers (IFF). This increase can be arranged in the following descending order: Adjmix-D1 > Adjmix-D2 > Liquid soap > Rixi film > Triethanolamine. It could be concluded that the Adjmix-D1 can be used as an effective adjuvant for improving foliar fertilizer application efficiency.

A pot experiment was carried out in seventeen levels of fertilization to evaluate the effect of the bio-fertilizer mixture alone or in combination with chemical fertilizer (NPK) on Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill). Bio-fertilizer was a mixture of Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus circulans and Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza. Results indicated that the use of bio-fertilizer at 3.75 ml/pot four times with 25% of NPK gave the highest significant values of vegetative growth, yield parameters, and NPK uptake; how-ever, fertilizing with bio-fertilizers without NPK application showed the lowest significant values in the two experimental seasons. The same addition of bio-fertilizer gave the highest significant values of total microbial count of soil and increased cumulative CO2; whereas the addition of 100% NPK gave the lowest significant values in both seasons. The full dose of NPK significantly increased volatile oil percentage while the addition of bio-fertilizer only significantly decreased it in both seasons. GC analysis of essential oil showed that the highest percentage of anethol (12.77 %) was obtained by applying 3.75 ml/pot bio-fertilizer added one time + 25% NPK and de-creased estragole (72.78%).

In the sake of enhancing the thermal stability of α-Tocopheryl acetate (α-TA) and Strawberry Anthocyanins (AN), their encapsulation with starch or β-Cyclodextrin were prepared and characterized by UV-Vis and IR spectra in addition to thermal analysis. Thermal stability was investigated by comparing the thermographs of each host and guest with that of the prepared complex. Both hosts provided extra thermal stability to both guests where α-TA is stabilized from 230 to 291oC by complexation with starch and to 285oC by encapsulation with β-CD. AN was also stabilized from 40.02oC to 75.57 and 79.46oC by complexation with starch and β-CD respectively.

Glyphosate (GLY) and glufosinate-ammonium (GLUA) are broad-spectrum, non-selective, contact herbicides that are commonly used in fruit farms Achieving the separation and detection of glyphosate and glufosinate from soil samples by chromatography is a challenging task as they are ionic and highly water-soluble compounds. The aim of this study is conducted to determine the dissipation of GLY and GLUA applied at two dose levels in three-depth soils of orange orchards. The residues of GLY and GLUA were determined by the HPLC-UV detector. The residual detection limits of GLY and GLUA of the method were 0.03 and 0.05 ng/g in soil respectively. The obtained data indicated that GLY persistent in the soil is very short, only for 7 days, following applications of 1 to 2 kg/fed in the orange crop. GLUA dissipated in soil within 14 days of application, regardless of dose. The half-life (T/2) of GLY and GLUA were 1.68 and 1.42 days at 0 cm depth, respectively. There was no significant difference between the half-life of the two herbicides in soil at three depths. These results showed that GLY dissipation occurs rapidly in soil. However, GLUA was moderately persistent in soil. The two compounds tested showed a reduction of dry weight for four types of weeds after 14 days of recommended and double-rate application.

Aphids are considered one of the most economically important insect pests worldwide. Successful pest management systems are based on accurate and rapid pest species identification. Traditional morphological identification of closed aphid species may be considered an inaccurate taxonomic process. To overcome the disadvantages of traditional morphological identification, molecular techniques, related to DNA markers and based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were approached by using nine ISSRs primers to identify and diagnose fifteen common aphid species that disperse in the Egyptian agroecosystem. The examined ISSRs primers could success-fully discriminate the tested aphid species that reflected 61.39% polymorphism among them. Moreover, four banding patterns were considered unique bands that could characterize three aphid species (Aphis gossypii, Aphis nerii and Myzus persicae). The highest genetic homology (84.9%) was observed between species Rhopalosipum padi and Schizaphis graminum. In addition, each of A. gossypii and Aphis citricola were also genetically homologous species. In contrast, species Aphis craccivora and M. persicae were analogous genetically with a low similarity percentile (59.8%). High genetic di-vergence was observed also between A. nerii and M. persicae. Two alternative molecular branching taxonomic keys were proposed by subjecting the five highest polymorphic ISSRs primers and 29 banding patterns with different molecular sizes.

This study was conducted to reduce the volume of solid wastes by using unmarketable potato tubers for producing biodegradable plastic films to substitute oil-based plastics “OBP” which is often not biodegradable. Starch-based plastic films “SBP” were produced with different concentrations of glycerol (5, 10,15, 20,25, 30, 99.5%v/v) as a plasticizer. The physical properties of SBP including thickness, density, water absorption, and biodegradability, were studied, as well as mechanical properties including tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, elongation % and the required energy for the firm were also investigated compared with OBP samples. The results showed that the maximum value of extracted starch was 13.5% obtained by blending potato tubers. SBP films with elevated glycerol concentration in-creased the sample thickness but decreased its density. Glycerol 20% gave the best flexible compact structure SBP films. The average thickness and density of SBP film (20% glycerol) were 0.25 mm and 80.11 Kg/m3 respectively. Meanwhile, the average thickness and density for OBP films were 0.41 mm and 24.39 Kg/m3 respectively. The rate of mass loss of SBP films with 20% glycerol concentration was 72% after 96 days while the rate of mass loss for OBP films is neglectable. Consumed energy for the firm was 44.05 and 31.06 N. mm.

In this research, a rule-based expert system named EFSIS-ES (Engineering Factors of Sprinkler Irrigation System -Expert System) had been built, verified and validated. Therefore, the aims of this research were to build, verify and validate an expert system for making a decision for the normal user to maximize system efficiency of sprinkler irrigation. The inputs data included location data, climate data, pump data, crop data, soil data and sprinkler system data. The outputs of the expert system were number of the sprinklers on a lateral, number of laterals in the irrigation system, length of each lateral, main line length, irrigation frequency, required pump power, total dynamic head (TDH) and pump discharge output. Results showed high correlation (R2 = 0.9927) between the EFSIS-ES program and the designed spreadsheet in regard to irrigation frequency. It could be indicated high correlation (R2 = 0.9999) between the EFSIS-ES program and the designed spreadsheet regarding pump power. The regression coefficient (R2) was 0.9983 between EFSIS-ES program and SSSDPS Expert regarding total dynamic head (TDH). It could be indicated high correlation (R2 = 0.9979) between EFSIS-ES program and SSSDPS Expert regarding pump discharge output.

The experiments were Carried out in Biahmu Village at Al-Fayoum Governorate, Egypt during the two winter seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, on wheat crop to (cv. Gemmiza 11) evaluate the traditional surface irrigation system "TSIS" and the improved surface irrigation system "ISIS"(terrace), under laser leveling with two slops (S1≈ zero% and S2 ≈ 3%). The evaluation parameters included; reduction in land loss "LL", the roughness coefficient of marwa-walls, water efficiencies (i.e., water conveyance efficiencies "WCE", water application efficiencies "WAE" and water storage efficiencies "WSE"), yield productivity "Yp", total applied water and water required, irrigation water productivity "IWP" and times of water advance, recession and opportunity. The results concluded that improving traditional marwa, led to reduction in land loss by 49.46% from the area of marwa, and "WCE" increased by 83.17% in improved Marwa "IM" the compare to Traditional Marwa "TM. It was observed that on the efficiency of water added to the field irrigated by "TM". The highest level of water productivity (1.79kg wheat/m3 water) was achieved in "IM" at a level of 3%. Advanced time "T.Adv" (min) decreased at 50, 50.77, 27.6, 20.75, and 17.17% and 30.9, 40.51, 22.8, 10.89 and7.05% for "TL and IL" by sloping to "S2".

This experiment was done during 2019 and 2020 seasons on 10 years old Murcott tangerine trees (Citrus reticulata, Blanco) grafted on Volkamer lemon rootstock and grown under drip irrigation system at 3 × 5 m apart at a private citrus orchard at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. The treatments were, Control treatment (sprayed with tape water only), Potassium silicate at 0.6 % (6 ml/ l), Aluminum silicate (Kaolin) at 4 %, Potassium silicate at 0.3 % (3 ml/ l) + Aluminum silicate (Kaolin) at 2 %. The treatments were done at 3 weeks intervals from mid-May to mid-August. The spraying was over the whole tree (canopy and fruits). Generally, all silica treatments improved yield, fruit quality and reduced sunburned and splitted fruits. The combined treatment of kaolin at 2 % + potassium silicate at 0.3 % (3 ml/ l), was the best treatment. Where, it reduced the sunburned and splitted fruits and improved yield, fruit weight, fruit dimensions, peel thickness, TSS% in comparison with other treatments. It could be recommended as a treatment for Murcotte tangarine trees