A number of 192 samples (180 water & swab specimens and 12 patient sputa)were chosen from different sites of Mansoura University Hospitals for detection anddiagnosis of Legionella pneumophila. Out of the 192 samples, 148 were positive byculture method and non-specific staining technique such as gram staining andbiochemical analysis. In our trials for diagnosis of Legionella pneumophila, wefound that 107 of 148 samples were positive by slide agglutination test and 110samples were positive by direct immunoflourescence assay, while 130 samples werepositive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique which proved to be the mostspecific and sensitive technique for diagnostic investigation of L. pneumophila. Theresults show that the four disinfectant procedures (chlorine, ozone, U.V. light andheat) were effective in eradicating Legionella pneumophila from different watersamples. Both UV light and heat (60ºC) produced a 5 log kill in less than 1 h. Incontrast, both chlorine and ozone required 5 h of exposure to produce a 5 logdecrease. Neither turbidity nor the higher temperature of 43ºC impaired the efficacyof any of the disinfectant methods.

A kairomone from adult Cydia pomonella L. scales is an important factor in the host recognition and searching behaviour process of Trichogramma cacoeciae Mar-chal and Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura. The Trichogramma spp. used the chemicals from the host eggs for orientation to host and increased their parasitism. The females of T. cacoeciae*, T. dendrolimi** and T. dendrolimi*** contacted the unwashed host eggs significantly longer than the washed eggs. Washing the codling moth eggs with hexan significantly reduced the parasitism of all the tested Tricho-gramma strains compared to unwashed eggs. The treated apple trees with wing scales of C. pomonella had significant influence on the parasitism compared to un-treated trees. The percentage parasitism of codling moth eggs on the treated trees (31.6%) was significantly higher than on the untreated trees (19.3%).

Dithiocarbamate mancozeb, an organometallic fungicide, was administered orally to male Wistar rats in two forms, pure technical 85% and formulated 80% WP, at sublethal doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w. for 28 days. Clinical chemical endpoints were measured after 2, 3, and 4 weeks of treatment initiation.  Data disclosed that both compound formulations affected significantly serum enzyme activities particularly liver enzymes in a dose and time-dependent manner, compared with control. Such changes were accompanied with significant alterations in other parameters like; total protein, albumin, glucose, total lipids, triglycerides, cholestrol, urea, and creatinine.  Furthermore, histological examination of liver and kidney showed several histopathogenic ubnormalities in the examined tissues of rats exposed to mancozeb either technical or formulated.

Canino apricot trees received four sprays of magnesium sulphate at 0.5%, 1.0% and 3.0%, boric acid at 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0%, ascorbic acid at 250, 500 and 1000 ppm, Vitamin B complex at 100, 200 and 400 ppm and a combination of the medium concentrations of each substrate were evaluated during 2004 and 2005 seasons. Single or combined application of magnesium, boron, ascorbic acid or vitamin B complex was favourable for improving leaf area, leaf mineral content (N, P, K and Mg), yield as well as physical and chemical properties of the fruits compared to untreated trees. The promotion effect was associated with increasing the applied concentrations. Using magnesium, born, ascorbic acid and vitamin B complex, in descending order was very effective in improving growth, nutritional status, fruit quantity and quality. Carrying out four sprays at starting growth, after blooming, after fruit setting and at three weeks later with a combination of 1.0% magnesium sulphate, 0.5% boric acid, 500ppm ascorbic acid and 200 p.p.m vitamin B complex suggested to be beneficial in improving growth, nutritional status, yield and fruit quality of “Canino” apricot.

Bacterial angular leaf spot disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans is an important foliage disease of cucumber, under protected cultivation system. The present work was planned to control the disease using bio-agents and abiotic agents alone or combining, under greenhouse and commercial plastic house conditions. Data obtained indicated that application of bio- and abiotic agents decreased severity of bacterial angular leaf spot disease of cucumber, compared with the control. Fluorescent Pseudomonads (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens and P. putida isolates) were more effectiveness than isolate of Bacillus subtilis to reduce the disease severity, when they were applied as soil drench treatment. Application of abiotic agents as foliar treatment was more effective than as seed treatment to decrease the disease severity. Isolates of P. fluorescens or P. putida as bio-agents and salicylic acid or ethephone as abiotic agents were the most effective against the disease. Disease severity was significantly reduced by increasing rates of abiotic agents. However, interaction between bio-agents (P. fluorescens or P. putida isolates) as soil treatment and abiotic agents (salicylic acid or ethephone) as foliar treatment greatly decreased severity of bacterial angular leaf spot disease of cucumber, under greenhouse and commercial plastic house condition, compared with the control. Combination between P fluorescens isolate as soil treatment and salicylic acid as foliar treatment were the most effective against the disease

Larval parasitoids of the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella Zell. were surveyed in potato and tomato fields in Menofyia Governorate in 2003. Three species were found to attack P. operculella larvae infesting potato plants; the endoparasitoids, Apanteles litae var. operculellae Nixon and Diadegma molliplum Hlmgrn. and the ectoparasitoid, Bracon instabilis Marshal. Meanwhile, only B.instabilis was found to attack the larvae infesting tomato leaves. Percentages of parasitism in potato fields averaged 10.8, 5.6 and2.6 % by B.instabilis, A.litae and D.molliplum, respectively. The total percentages of parasitism by the three species ranged from 11.0 to 28.6 % with an average of 19.1 % in potato field, while it ranged in tomato fields from 0.0 to 21.4 % with an average of 11.1 % by B. instabilis

Preparationof either Bacillus thuringiensis or Trichoderma harzianum  were used as seed coating or soil application for management of root-knot and root rot disease complex caused by the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica and the fungus Rhizoctonia solani on soybean plants. Number of galls, root galling, egg masses and disease severity were reduced sharply on plants treated with both biocontrol agents, either as seed or soil application compared with non-treated plants. Soil application with both biocontrol agents was the best method in reducing nematode and fungus disease severity. Plant growth parameters i.e. fresh shoot and root weight, dry weight and number of pods and bacterial nodules were markedly increased with all treatments of biocontrol agent either with seed or soil treatment compared to plants grown in infested soil with either pathogens alone or combined. Results show that plant survival was more affected when R. solani was alone or combined with M. javanica. Seed coating was considered the effective method in increasing survival plants. The biochemical analysis of treated plants with both biocontrol agents were affected compared to non-treated plants grown in pathogen infested soil. The biochemical parameters i.e. chlorophyll A and B, carotein, phenols and amino acids were enhanced in bioagent treated plants compared to non-treated plants

A promising cotton inbred line characterized by high yielding ability, earliness in maturity and better fiber quality was developed via pedigree selection from the subsequent segregating generations of a cross between the two long-staple cvs.; Giza 89 and Giza 86 by the Cotton Breeding Section of the Cotton Research Institute. The purpose of this investigation aimed at assessment of the superiority of the physical and fine structural properties of the promising line derived from the cross (Giza 89 x Giza 86) over its parents. The results indicated that: -  The promising line surpassed its parents in upper half mean length, uniformity index, fiber strength, fiber elongation, micronaire value, maturity ratio, hair weight, dry fiber ribbon width, swollen fiber diameter, convolution number / cm., reversals number/ cm. and yarn strength. - There were highly significant positive correlations between upper half mean length, uniformity index, convolution number/cm., fiber bundle strength and yarn strength. - Highly significant negative correlations exhisted between dry fiber ribbon width, swollen fiber diameter, reversals number and bundle strength.   The promising line is now under propagation for growing as a commercial cultivar and would replace both parents in their growing areas.

A field experiment was carried out for two seasons 2001 and 2002 at Ismailia Agric. Res. Station to study the comparative effect of farmyard manure (FYM) application, individually or in combination with natural minerals, as sources of micronutrients. Such effect was studied during successive growth stages of wheat (vegetative stage, flowering stage and harvest stage), as well as after maize harvesting, on plant growth, nutrients uptake and wheat - maize productivity. The experiment was designed in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Two levels of FYM (2 % and 3 %) and three natural minerals, i.e., magnetite (iron oxide, Mag.), basic slag (Bas.) and manganese dust (Md.) at three rates 0.02 %, 0.05 % and 0.07%, respectively. Obtained results revealed that, at vegetative stage, mineral fertilizers (MF) treatment positively affected the dry matter of both shoots and roots of wheat plants along with contents of nitrogen and potassium in both shoots and roots as well as shoot/root ratios. At flowering stage, obtained data showed that applied farmyard manure at the rate of 3 % (F2) significantly affected the dry matter of both shoots and roots as well as their contents of N, P and K. A similar trend was obtained for micronutrients uptake at the two indicated growth stages of wheat, which recorded high values when FYM, at a rate of 3 % (F2), was applied. On the other hand, obtained results indicated that applied FYM at the rate of 2 % (F1) with high rate (0.07 %) of each of the used natural minerals and FYM at the rate of 3 % (F2) in combination with the moderate rate (0.05 %) of such minerals recorded high values of all tested parameters. In addition, Basic slag (Bas.), generally, gave the highest values, over control, of dry matter content and macronutrients uptake during the studied two growth stages of wheat, (vegetative and flowering stages). The agronomic yield components of wheat (straw, grains and weight of 1000 grains) were increased when MF was applied; such significant increases were obtained in maize yield (residual effect) as a result of applied FYM individually or combined with natural minerals.

Random samples were collected from Giza Qualubyia and Minufyia Governorates during summer, autumn and winter 2001. The collected samples were litter, poultry food and feather from chickens, ducks, pekeeny ducks, geese, rabbits (as a domestic animals) and quails, rozella birds, zebra birds and kockteel birds (as a wild animals which were in captivity). Mites belonging to twenty-seven families of four suborders; viz., Gamasida, Actinedida, Acaridida and Oribatida plus the hypopal stage of family Acaridae, were collected. Out of 27 families, 24, 14 and 11 were found in Qaliobia, Giza and Minufyia Governorates, respectively. However, number of mites, percentage of occurrence and dominance differentiated families in and between localities. Number of mites during autumn season was the highest representing 21 families followed by summer then winter. Hypopal stage represented about 20% of mite population in autumn season while no hypopal stage in summer but nil in winter. Litter harbored mites of all 27 families and hypopal stage which was not found in feather and food. The percentage of mites and hypopal stage was 89.39% in litter, followed by feather (9.51%) then food (1.1%). Only 6 and 5 families were found in food and feather respectively. Feather of Pekeeny ducks harbored 49.5% of mites while chicken’s feather harbored 42.6%. The percentage of mites in leftover food was 89% while it was 11% in food before feeding. The most common mite families in this study were Acaridae, Glycyphagidae Pyroglyphidae, Cheyletidae, Ascidae and Dermanyssidae.  Declaration of the role of the animals under investigation and their habitat as a source of stored product mites also the dominance of occurrence of the recorded mite families were discussed in details