The efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Beaveria bassiana Saudi Arabian isolate (B-SA3)was evaluated against the red palm weevil, Rynochophorus ferrungineus (Oliv.).The mentioned isolate was assessed on the different developmental stages of the red palm weevil through toxicity tests, i.e. determination of lethal concentration and lethal times to kill 50% of treated insects. The results showed that 8th instar larvae were the most tolerant followed by pupa to B.bassiana as their LC50 values were 3.75x 108 and 3.78x 107 conidia/ ml, respectively. Meanwhile, 4th instar larvae were the most susceptible to infection by B.bassiana (B-SA 3), as LC50 value was 3.25x 106 conidia/ ml, which proved insignificantly different to that determined in adult weevils, i.e. 4.18x 106 conidia /ml. Furthermore, LT50 values were very similar in these latter mentioned developmental stages in any considered concentration; meanwhile, LT50 was much longer in 8th instar larvae than the other considered instar and/or developmental stages. The fungus B. bassiana was most virulent to eggs of the red palm weevil as none of the eggs hatched following their treatment with any of the considered concentrations (ranging between 5x 109 to 5x105 conidia /ml). Moreover, germination viability of harvested conidia of B.bassiana stored at -4°C was insignificantly affected up to the 10th month storage period and was well above 90%. However, germination percentage of conidia then decreased to 70.27% after 16 months of storage. Also, the virulence of the stored conidia was tested after 1, 6, 12 and 16 months on adult red palm weevils, the LC50 values were 3.75x106, 4.66x106, 4.17x107 and 3.37x108 conidia/ ml, respectively. These results show that there was a significant decrease in the virulence of the tested fungus when the duration of storage period was more than 10 months.

A field experiment was carried out at Nubariah region Alexandria desert road located at 120 Km from Cairo, (Egypt) during 2005-2006 to study the degradation rates of five fungicides azoxystrobin, cyprodinil, fludioxonil, fenhexamid, and myclobu-tanil in strawberry fruits after application with their recommended rates under field conditions. The samples were collected in successive intervals after spraying and transported to Bioforsk refer-ence Lab, Ǻs, Norway for analysis by GC/MS. The fungicide residues on strawberry showed different degradation rates after treatment, with first-order kinetics. Half-lives (t0.5) were 1.92, 4.99, 3.68, 6.02 and 5.17 days for azoxystrobin, cyprodinil, fludioxonil, fenhexamid and myclobutanil, respectively.

Mated female moth of the cotton leafworm, S. littoralis laid a total number of 1564.22 eggs during its whole life. In a free choice test, treating N. oleander leaves (as an oviposition site) with an aqueous extracts of neem seed kernel solutions extracted by different organic solvents reduced the number of deposited eggs on it. The lowest number of eggs was recorded when methanol was used for extraction, followed by chloroform, and the highest was, however, obtained after using benzene, butanol and ethyl acetate. The number of deposited eggs decreased as the concentration of any tested neem extract increased to reach the minimum at 0.2%. This means that the most deterred neem seed kernel extract is that which extracted with methanol at the concentration of 0.2%.Hatchability percentage of S. littoralis eggs greatly affected by the type of organic solvents used for neem extraction and the concentration of each extract on treated N. oleander leaves. The lowest hatchability was recorded after using methanol, followed by chloroform.On the other hand, an increase in neem seed kernel extract concentration caused an obvious decrease in egg hatchability.

as sources of biologically active secondary metabolites including pesticides because of their eco-friendly nature. The present study indicated that the ethylacetate extract of the Acacia saligna leaves exhibited acaricidal activity against the phytophagous twospotted spider mite ( Tetranychus Urticae Koch ).                 The chromatographic separation methods led to isolation of a pure compound from Acacia saligna leaf ethylacetate extract which exerted acaricidal action against the tested mite with LC50 value of 74.13 mg.l-1 after 48 h. Based on chemical (acid hydrolysis) and spectroscopic (1H, C13- NMR and MS) methods, the isolated compound was identified for the first time from plants as 2-hydroxymethyl-9-hydroxy-9-methyl-undecanyl (O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-β-D-galactopyranoside.

This study aimed basically at identifying the level of rural women adoption of environmental practices in Menufiya Governorate. This main obective was achieved throw the followinge sub-objectives : determining the environmental knowledge level of rural women, identifying the dgree of rural women application of environmental practices, determining the factors which correlated  with each of the environmental knowledge level and dgree of rural women application of  environmental  practiece. The study was carried out in two villeges in Menufiya Governorate, the first villege was Monshiat Bakhaty which belongs to Shebien Elkom district and the sconede villege was Sahel Elgawaber which belongs to El shohadaa district. 100 rural women were selected randomly from each village. The study findings were: the environmental knowledge level was high as 83.5% from respondents. About 47% from respondents were applying the environmental practices. There were four independent variables (social participation, culturel cosmoplitness, geographical cosmoplitness, age) explained together 16.3 % of the total variance of the environmental knowledge level. There were six independent variables (family monthly incom, environmental situation at the village, cultural cosmoplitness, family education, geographical cosmoplitness, environmental knowledge) explained together 55.5% of the total variance of the environmental application dgree.

The present study was carried out in 2004/ 2005 – 2005/2006 seasons to make survey of plant vegetation at Wadi Wateer  (East southern of Sinai) (a bout 100 km length) at 9 successive sites. The study was carried through two years (two wet and dry seasons) to evaluate the vegetation structure throughout 20 chart quadrates (2 m x 2 m) at each site. The results showed that most of the pasture measurements such as plant density (plants / 4 m2), coverage %, frequency %, abundance % and fresh, and dry yields (ton/fad.) reached its maximum values during the wet seasons. Sites 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 were more suitable for growth of the plant associations than other sites under studies. Many plant species such as Astragalus  spinsous, Medicago laciniata, Artemisia Judica, Artemisia monosperma, Legum spartum, Haloxylon salicornicum, Calotropis procera, Lycium shawii and Paronychia sinaica were capable to grow under the aridity conditions at Wadi Wateer  area.

Two pot experiments were carried out during the summer seasons of 2006 and 2007 to investigate the effect of irrigation with diluted saline water; i.e., 10, 30 and 50% in addition to Tap water as a control on growth, chemical composition, yield and tuber quality of three new sweet potato cultivars (Minufiya 6/96, Minufiya 2/96 and Minufiya 171/96) as well as the local cultivar (Mabrouka). The obtained results revealed that, saline water at 10 and 30% levels stimulated growth of sweet potato plants represented by plant height, number of leaves and branches, dry weight of shoots as well as the contents of photosynthetic pigments, proline, total carbohydrates, N, P, K+ and Ca++ in sweet potato leaves were also increased. Moreover, total water content (TWC), bound water (BW), bound / free water ratio (BW/FW) and relative water content (RWC) increased under these conditions. All these parameters decreased at the level of 50% salinity. Yield and its quality significantly increased at saline water at 10% level. Also, chemical composition of tuber roots; i.e., total carbohydrates, soluble sugars, carotene, starch and dry matter contents were enhanced under these conditions. All previous parameters decreased with increasing saline water up to 50%. Saline water levels increased Na+ content in the leaves. As for the tested cultivars, generally Minufiya 6/96 had the best growth and yield, was more stable in the chemical components and its roots had the highest nutrients value under the control and salt stress conditions, followed by Minufiya 2/96 then Minufiya 171/96. The tuber roots yield of Mabrouka cultivar was completely depressed at 30 and 50% salinity levels. As for interaction between cultivars and salinity levels. The highest level of salinity (50%) lead to a significant decrease in all growth parameters, RWC, TWC, bound water (BW), bound water / free water (BW/FW), chemical composition, yield and its quality in all new tested cultivars. While, Mabrouka cultivar showed a significant decrease in these parameters under the all salinity levels. Accordingly, Minufiya 6/96 was the highest tolerant to the tested salinity stress, followed by Minufiya 2/96 and Minufiya 171/96. On the other hand, Mabrouka cultivar sensitive to salinity.

Theimmediate and long term evaluating trails based on efficacy of soil solarization process and the pesticide Dazomit (98%) was worked out to control theroot-knot nematode on cucumber. The temperature rised significantly (4.0, 12.2, 13.3, 20.9)C° at the soil depths of (5,10,15,20) cm, respectively; when soil was covered with transparet plastic in July compared to nonsolarized soil (control). The results showed insignificant differences for the treatments combinations of soil solarization and the differences rates of Dazomit (98%) and the soil solarization alone in its ability in reducing numbers of theroot-knot nematode after one month of soil solarization and the treating with Dazomit (98%) reaching an efficacy ranged between 94-100% at the soil depth of 0-30cm. The results also indicated superior significancy of these treatments in preventing reforming the disease- causing aggregates of these nematode during the second season, with growth rates ranged between (2-5.8)% compared to(45-48.9)% at the end of first season, and the incidence was reduced with rates (96-98) % and the severity of infection rate (73-87)% at the end of season compared to (100)% in control treatment and indicated a high economic return (405%) for the solarization treatment alone compared to 5,18 and 83% in the three treatment combinations, respectively.

Individual and integrated effects of three weed control treatments H [weedy control (H1); Butralin (H2) and manual twice hoeing (H3)] , three hill spacing , D [10 (D1), 15 (D2) and 20 cm (D3)] and two soybean varieties, V [ Giza 111 (V1) and Giza 21 (V2)] on dry matter (DM) of associated weeds, growth traits and parameters, nutrients uptake and seed yield, were the intended aim of the present study. To achieve this aim, split- split plot arrangement was used, where tested variables; H, D and V were allocated in main-, sub- and sub-sub plot, respectively, at newly reclaimed soil of the experimental farm "Demo" of Fac. Agric., Fayoum Univ., during 2006 and 2007 summer seasons. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: Dry weight of weeds were deppressed by twice manual hoeing, dense planting, chemical control and the interaction of H2D2V2 in the first sample and H3 V1 in the second sample.Maximum values of soybean height, number of branches, LA and LAI were obtained by H2 or H3 depending on the sample as well as the studied variety. Soybean density had a significant effect on plant growth (height, DM and LA). In addition CGR and NAR as well as N, P, and K were affected by H3 and H2. Several dual and triointeractions significantly affected the growth traits. Manual hoeing, H3 (1490 kg/fed) out yielded Butralin treatment, H2 (1000kg/fed) and both surpassed the weedy control one, H1 (530 kg/fed). Closest spacing, D1 (1080 kg) followed by intermediate one, D2 (1060 kg) produced markedly by higher seed yield/fed that of the widest spacing (890 kg). V2 (1080kg) out yielded V1 (940 kg/fed). H3 D1 (1840), D2 V2 (1500) and H3D2 (1260) as well as H3D1V2 (1890 kg/fed) were the most effective interactions on soybean yield. The obtained results revealed that, in such newly reclaimed land, the maximum yield with improved quality of soybean could be obtained from Giza 21 planted in closed spacing (10cm) and treated with manual hoeing twice.

The current work aims to evaluate the effect of different periods of organic farming on some soils qualities compared with the traditional system. Several farms varied in their soil nature and periods of practicing organic farming system were chosen. The farms are located in Belbes, El-Manayef, El-Fayoum and El- Behera areas. Moreover, the study also involved adjacent traditional managed farms. The evaluation was based on the weighted values of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the 0-50 cm and 0-100 cm soil depths. The considered soil properties weresoil organic matter (SOM); bulk density; porosity; available water; penetration resistance, mean soil particles weight diameter (MWD), cation exchange capacity and total microbial count. The obtained results indicated that soilbiological parameters were less important than the physical or thechemical factors. Principle component1, (PC1) scores indicated that 79.97% and 78.05 % of total variance are attributed to the 0-50 cm soil depth of the organic and conventional managed soils, respectively. In the meantime, 75.72 and 71.94 % are related to the 0-100 cm soil depth for the two farming systems, (Organic and conventional) in the same sequence. The only significantfactor contributing to PC2 was total count; PC2 indicatedthat (10.29 and 10.87% of the totalvariance are accounted for 0-50 and 0-100 cm soil depth of organic farming as well as 15.3 and 16.68% of the totalvariance for 0-50 and 0-100 cm soil depth of conventional farming system, respectively.