The study was conducted in Mahanawiyah district in AL-Qadisiya Province, Iraq to identify the training needs of rice farmers. 125 farmers were selected as a random sample. A list of 8 major areas of training needs in relation to rice cultivation practices was prepared whiten 50 sub-area. Scores were measured on four-point scale. The primary data were collected using a pre-tested structured interview schedule by conducting personal interview. Findings revealed that majority of the farmers had medium level of training needs. Weed management, disease and pests control, seed and seedling were the top most training needs of the farmers and the least training need was Land preparation. The variables educational attainment, area cultivated with rice, and annual revenue from rice cultivation had positive and significant association with the training needs.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of storage duration on nutrient composition and silage quality parameters. Corn was used as silage material. Corn (31.41% dry matter) was harvested at the dough stage and fermented for 90, 104, 118, 132, 146, 160, 174, 188 and 202 days in three trench silos. The samples were brought to laboratory every 14 days. This process was repeated 9 times. After the 132th day, whereas silage crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), ash and crude fiber (CF) contents decreased, nitrogen free extract (NFE) content increased. Lactic acid concentration of corn silage increased until the 118th day but decreased between the 118th and the 160th days. On the contrary, of decrease in LA concentration, acetic acid concentration increased depending on storage time. Ammonia nitrogen and CO2 concentration of silage increased decreased with progressing time. Storage time had significant influence on Flieg scores. The lowest score was found between days the 104th-118th. In this research, it was observed that there was a change in silage nutrient contents and fermentation characteristics with increasing storage time.

The present study was conducted to find out an in vitro efficient method for multiple shoot regeneration of two local chickpea varieties. The mature embryos were excised of two chickpea varieties i.e. Bittle-98 and Dasht-2000 (with cotyledon and without cotyledon) used as explants. The explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with three concentrations of (2, 3, 4 mg/l) 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) using explant with and without cotyledon. Further, 0.5 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) along with varied concentrations of BAP (2, 3, 4 mg/ l) was also tested using explant with cotyledon. 3 mg/l BAP alone and 3 mg/l BAP with 0.5 mg/l NAA were found the most effective cytokinin in multiple shoot induction in both tested varieties. Bittle-98 and Dasht-2000 showed 82% and 76% elongation in shoots induction with 0.2 mg/l Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Root formation was recorded 80% and 60% in Bittle-98 and Dasht-2000 with 1.0 mg/l Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Whereas, recorded root formation was 40 and 20% in Bittle-98 and Dasht-2000 with 1.0 mg/l NAA. The best response for rooting observed in Bittle-98 as its roots were thick, long and strong. Plantlets of Bittle-98 were acclimatized in solid medium for 7-14 days. The successful invitro regeneration of Bittle-98 was observed, when excised embryo with cotyledon were used as explant, made it valuable for genetic transformation.

In this study, the effects of some herbal wastes such as daphne (Laurus nobilis), thyme (Origanum onites) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum) on the yield of Pleurotus ostreatus were investigated. While compost formula consisted 43% wheat straw+ 43% poplar dust+ 10% wheat bran+ 4% gyps mixture was used as the control group, 20% to 40% of herbal waste was added to this formula in the experiment groups. Total number of mushroom was counted in both the experiment and the control groups. Then, the harvested mushrooms were weighed and morphological features of caps were measured and recorded. As a result of obtained data, while it was detected that compost contained 20% cumin waste had the highest number of primordium (34), the control group had the lowest number of primordium (21 items). The highest biological yield was detected as 35.8% in the group contained 20% cumin waste. The lowest biological yield was detected in the control group with 24.6%.

The objectives of this study were to determine the saline concentration and moromi’s fermentation duration of Koro Benguk salty soy sauce at best organolepticly and determine consumers’ preferences towards Koro Benguk salty soy sauce from the best treatment results. The study was conducted using a randomized design method using two factors: the saline concentration (17%; 20%; and 23%) and duration of moromi’s fermentation (2; 3; and 4 weeks). The best treatment results based on the Friedman test was on the saline concentration of 17% and moromi’s fermentation duration was 4 weeks, with the NP value of 1,000; had a preference color level of 5:40 (liked); aroma of 4.30 (rather liked); flavor of 4.55 (rather liked); and viscosity of 5.05 (liked). The obtained protein was 7.14%; and dissolved solids of 27obrix. Consumers’ preferences towards the best treatment showed that product of Koro Benguk salty soy sauce was acceptable to consumers.

Muscari neglectum Guss. Ex Ten, is an ornamental, herbaceous perennial plant species that grows in the Mediterranean countries with attractive and scented blue-colored flowers. The plant has low seed output, seed dormancy, low germination and propagation rates. This study aimed to develop a reliable microclonal propagation protocol for M. neglectum using TDZ (Thidiazuron)-NAA (α Naphthalene acetic acid) to induce bulblets, roots, and acclimatization of the regenerated bulblets. Maximum number of bulblets per explant (8.25±0.05) was noted on MS medium containing 0.0454 µM TDZ-5.37 µM NAA. The bulblets regenerated in each type of culture medium were very vigorous, and acclimatized easily following rooting on a subculture. Here we show that this protocol is a useful clonal micropropagation system for this important ornamental plant.

Response of sunflower germplasms viz. cultivated sunflower H. annuus and two breeding lines H. annuus x T. rotundifolia and H. annuus x V. encelioides developed after wide hybridization were used for identification of drought tolerant sunflower genotypes at the seedling growth stage. Three water stress levels of zero (control), -0.4, and -0.8 MPa were developed using polyethyleneglycol-6000 (PEG-6000). Physiological and biochemical stress determining parameters such as root and shoots length, fresh weight, antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPO), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and antioxidant metabolite content (total antioxidant capacity, total phenols and total flavonoids content) were compared between seedlings of all three genotypes. Results revealed that sunflower genotypes have similar responses at two osmotic potentials for shoot and root length and fresh weight. The data also showed that drought stresss could induce oxidative stress, as indicated by the increase level of ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase at -04 MPa in H. annuus cv 1114. Although the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase was differentially influenced by drought, the changes of antioxidant enzyme activities such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase subjected to drought stress follow a similar pattern in both breeding lines, indicating that similar defense systems might be involved in the oxidative stress injury in sunflowers. Increase in content of phenols and flavonoids were detected for all three genotypes under stress, which showed that these were major antioxidant metabolites in scavenging cellular H2O2.

The study presents first report of Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation in Rice paddy herb (Linmophila aromatica). A. tumefaciens strain C58C1 harboring pBin19 Plasmid containing β-glucuronidase (GUS) and neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) gene, under the control of 35S promoter and NOS terminator was used. Shoot tip explants were inoculated for 30 min followed by co-cultivation for 72 h and selected on agar semi solidified MS medium containing 100 mg/l Kanamycin and 1.0 mg/l BA; whereas total number of 78 putative transgenic shoots were obtained. The shoots were rooted on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l IBA and 100 mg/l Kanamycin where 43 plants survived and rooted. Expression of GUS gene in the putative transgenics was confirmed by histochemical GUS assay. Visible localised gus expression was noted in a few cells and callus tissues of 4 plantlets that were photographed using compound light microscope.

With data sets of germination percent and storage time of seed lot of wheat and sorghum stored at three different storage temperature(t, °C) with three different water content (m, %) of seeds, together with data set of buckwheat and lettuce reported in literatures, the possibility that seed survival curve were transformed into line by survival proportion and the relationship that logarithm of average viability period (logp50) and standard deviation of seed death distribution in time (δ)with t, m and interaction between t and m were analysed. Result indicated that survival proportion transformed seed survival curve to line were much easier than the probability adopted by Ellis and Roberts, and the most important factor affecting logp50 and δ of seed lot was interaction between t and m. Thus, Ellis and Roberts viability model were suggested to be improved as Ki=Vi-p/10K-CWT (t×m) to predict longevity of seed lot with initial germination percent unknown, a new model of Gi/G0=A-P/10K-CWT(t×m) was constructed to predict longevity of seed lot with initial germination percent already known.