growing seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, in a private farm at El-Salheya El-Gedida City, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to investigate the effect of rice straw (RS) as alternative to sandy soil (SS) and drenching applications of potassium humate (K2-HA) at 2 g/l, potassium silicate (K2SiO3) at 5 g/l, and seaweed extract (SWE) at 0.5 g/l on improving growth of sweet pepper (capsicum annuum L.) plants under deficit irrigation every 2 (I2), 3 (I3) and 4 (I4) days in addition to daily irrigation (I1) as control. Plant samples were taken at 90 days after transplanting to record leaf area, shoot fresh and dry weights, in addition to, determination of leaf relative water content (LRWC), concentrations of  N, P, K and Ca. Mean values of drenching applications showed significant increase in the growth parameters ;shoot fresh and dry weights, leaf area, LRWC, as well as, concentrations of  N, P and Ca in the two seasons comparing to untreated control and the best results were due to K2-HA followed by SWE then K2SiO3. The highest concentration of  K was obtained by K2SiO3 followed by K2-HA then SWE. Plants were grown on RS showed significant increase in LRWC comparing to plants were grown on SS. Plants were applied with I2+ K2-HA+ SS showed the highest significant value of shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, leaf area, N, P and Ca concentrations followed by I2+SWE+SScomparing to control plants applied with I1+ SS without drenching applications. Plants were grown on RS showed significant increase in growth parameters comparing with control plants but less than those were grown on SS. The best results were achieved by I3 + K2-HA+ RS, I3 + SWE+ RS, I4 + K2-HA+ RS. Plants were grown on rice strawunderI3 irrigation and applied with K2-HA or SWE showed significant increase in N, P and Ca concentrations, while, under I4  irrigation an increase in N and P concentrations was obtained by K2-HA.The highest concentrations of k were observed with plants grown on SS under the highest level of irrigation deficit I4 by K2SiO3.It could be concluded from the present study that rice straw could alleviate the negative effect of low water supply and applications of K2-HA and SWE are recommended for enhancing sweet pepper growth and nutrient elements uptake under water deficit conditions.

Due to the expansion of strawberry nursery cultivation, transplant production has become an important industry in Egypt. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the most important nutrients affecting the number and quality of strawberry transplants. However, no empirical research exists addressing the optimal requirements of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization rates for strawberry nurseries in Egypt, until now. This study was conducted at a private farm in Abo Ghalib, Giza Governorate, Egypt during the two successive summer seasons of 2015 and 2016 to determine the optimal requirements of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizations for Festival strawberry cultivar nurseries via evaluating the influence of four nitrogen rates (83, 100, 117 or 134 kg N/feddan) and five phosphorus rates (38, 62, 74, 86 or 98 kg P2O5/feddan) in a factorial experiment. Results revealed that increasing the rates of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizations increased the number of main runners/mother plant and number of marketable transplants/m2, and enhanced all vegetative growth parameters, leaf SPAD readings, leaf relative water content, crown diameter, crown carbohydrates, and leaf mineral content in both growing seasons. On the contrary, both elements had an inverse effect on leaf total soluble phenols. Thus, the study recommends to the nurserymen of Festival straw-berry cultivar to apply 117 or 134 kg N with 98 kg P2O5 per feddan under pure sandy soil condition which gave the highest number of transplants with high quality and subsequent high quality crop in the field.

This study was carried out in two successive seasons (2014-2015 and 2015-2016) at SEKEM company Farm (Bilbase, Sharkya Governorate) on chia (Salvia hispanica) plant which is  a new crop introduced lately to Egyptian cultivation as  a medicinal plant. The effect of three irrigation levels of different reference evapotranspiration (80, 100 and 120 % ETo) with foliar application of three levels of proline (100, 200 and 300 ppm), salicylic acid (200, 400 and 600 ppm) and putrescine (10, 15 and 20 ppm) in addition to the control treatment (tap water) was investigated on growth and yield of Salvia hispanica cultivated in sandy loam soil with drip irrigation system. The results of the two years experiments indicated that the highest values of plant growth parameters and seeds yield of S. hispanica were obtained from 100 % ETo. While 120 % ETo resulted in the maximum value of roots fresh and dry weights. Foliar-spray application of proline (100 ppm.), salicylic acid (200 ppm) and putrescine (10 ppm) resulted in optimum fresh and dry weights of herbage and roots. Seed yield was higher in plants sprayed with proline (100 ppm) and putrescine (10 ppm), although the differences between them and salicylic acid (200 and 400 ppm) or putrescine (15 ppm) were insignificant in both seasons. This leads us to recommend irrigation of S. hispanica accordingly with 100 % ETo coupled with foliar-spray application of salicylic acid (200 ppm) from the economic point of view.

A total of 320 fertile eggs, were divided randomly into 4 treatments with four replicates and 20 eggs per each replicate. Treatments including: T1; control; without injection, T2; injected with 0.1ml saline solution; sham control, T3, injected with0.1 ml either containing 0.75 ppm inorganic or Nano – iron particles 75 ppm Fe-Nano inorganic, T4, injected with 75 ppm Fe inorganic  On the 7th day of incubation, 0.1 ml solution was In ovo injected into the egg .Body weight and body weight gain were measured at biweekly intervals, at 42d of age, three hens per replicate were weighted, sacrificed for slaughtering weights of carcass, internal organs(heart, liver, and lymphoid organs i.e. (spleen, thymus and Bursa) were recorded. Blood samples were collected at slaughtering bird at 42d of age. There were significant increase in body weight and body weight gain in treatments injected with75 ppm Fe-Nano inorganic and 75 ppm Fe inorganic compared with control. There were no significantly differences among all experimental groups in dressed carcass, gizzard, and heart, liver. Abdominal fat decreased in groups injectedwith75 ppm both iron forms. Compared with the control group. No variation was observed in the weight of bursa and spleen, however thymus weight was significantly higher in both Fe inorganic and Fe nano inorganic injected groups than un-injected control group. High density lipoprotein concentration and cholesterol were significantly decreased by different treatment as compared with the control group. These results suggest that, 75 ppm Fe inorganic or75 ppm Fe-Nano injection at the 7th im proved at the 7th day of incubation improved embryonic growth and development as well as decreasing post hatched chick's plasma cholesterol.

Two pot experiments were carried out at the greenhouse of the Cotton Research Institute, Agric. Res. Cent., Giza, Egypt during 2015 and 2016 seasons to study the response of cotton plant to application of some nutrients to improve the performance of cotton plant under irrigation of saline water to increase growth, yield and yield components and fiber quality of Giza 90 cotton cultivar.  The experimental design was a split plot design with four replications. Main plots included saline water solutions treatments (control, 2000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 ppm), sub plot included four nutrients application (Potassium Humate, Algex, Poly Ethylene Glycol (PEG) 6000 and Potassein compared with control). The obtained results could be summarized as follows: Irrigation with saline  water over seasons significantly decreased plant height, number of fruiting branches/plant, number of open bolls /plant, boll weight, seed index, seed cotton yield per plant, fiber length, uniformity index, fiber strength and micronaire value,  while, lint % was significantly increased. Nutrients application had significant effect on growth parameters, yield and its components and fiber properties under study, All nutrients treatments gave the highest values of growth parameters, yield and its components and fiber properties as compared with the control in both seasons. In general, plants sprayed with PEG gave the highest averages of plant height, number of fruiting branches/plant. Potassium Humate gave  the highest averages of yield and its components and fiber properties followed by plants sprayed with Algex, while the plants sprayed with PEG as came the last in these respect in both seasons. Interaction between irrigation with slain water and nutrients application by salinity tolerance inducers had a significant effect on plant height, number of fruiting branches per plant,  boll weight,  number of open bolls /plant, seed index, seed cotton yield /plant and fiber quality under study in both seasons. Plants treated with foliar nutrients under salinity condation scored the highest average of growth parameters, yield and its components and fiber properties. Potassium Humate, Algex, PEG and Potassein applications to plants under normal and salinity conditions had positive effects on improving the performance of cotton plants, which increased plant growth and yield especially under salinity conditions.

The present study was carried out during 2015 and 2016 seasons on Kitt mongo  trees to evaluate the effect of three irrigation water management (4000  m3 of irrigation water were applied to the four physiological stages of mango tree growth as 15 & 20 & 40 & 25 % ,  30 & 15 & 35& 20 % and  35 & 20 & 30& 15 % m3 / tree/ year,  respectively) as well as  four concentrations  of potassium silicate on avoiding cold injury and  improvement yield of kitt mango .                 Irrigation Mango tree by  the second program water management (30, 15, 35 , 20) recorded The highest values of vegetative growth in terms of number of shoot /tree  and lower values of leaves percentage   affected with cold injury, Also, an evident increase in the content leaves of N  & K elements , C/N ratio  and final fruit set % total yield by divided  irrigation water at the four physiological stages of mango  trees  (30, 15, 35, 20) was recorded compared with  the other two water managements. No significant differences between the second and third irrigation water management programs (30%,  15%, 35%, 20% and  35%,  20%,  30%, 15%) on values of  leaf area, P% and  total carbohydrates as well as on TSS,  acidity and L-ascorbic acid content  of fruits .                 Spraying trees with potassium silicate in three times during the period from October to January at the rate of 1000 ppm  give the highest values of quality characteristics at mango trees and their fruits. While sprayed with potassium silicate at 2000 ppm achieve moderate values of the mentioned characteristics                 It could be recommended from the obtained data that irrigation water management at the four physiological stages (30, 15, 35, 20) of Kitt mango  trees and spraying 1000 ppm potassium silicate in dormancy period is considered  a good treatment to avoid cold damage on leaves and fruits as well as in giving the highest yield and quality of kitt fruit.

The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of acidifiers on growth performance and immunity of the African catfish C. gariepinus. This experiment was carried out in the wet lab of Fish Production Branch, Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University. A total of 120 fish were selected as healthy catfish which had a uniform size and average weight of 94.93 ± 0.89 g. A thirty of catfish were used in each treatment divided into three replicates as (10 fish/ quadrate tank). Four experimental diets were formulated at 35 % crude protein with different levels of organic acid blend (OAB); diet was supplemented with 0, 2, 4 and 6 ml of organic acid per kilogram diet. Growth parameters, apparent digestibility of crude protein and ether extract were measured. The chemical proximate analysis for whole-body of fish was conducted at the end of the experimental period. Hematological parameters of fish and liver function enzymes were also measured. The fish group fed on 0.6 % organic acids blend showed the highest significance (P < 0.05) increase in total weight gain (438 ± 14.24 g), specific growth rate, best feed conversion ratio, feed efficiency ratio and highest protein efficiency than the rest of experimental groups. The highest apparent digestibility for crude protein were achieved in the third fish group which fed diet supplemented with acidifiers at 4 ml / kg diet and have significant difference (P < 0.05) with other groups. Data obtained in hepatosomatic index % showed no significant difference among different treatment refers to the health status of liver. However, ALAT  and ASAT recorded high values in the higher group of OAB-treated fish indicating that liver could be affected. Hematological parameters were in normal range except for PCV, Hb, RBCs, and WBCs count which were decreased in the high dose of treated fish. Finally, it could be concluded that using of acidifiers as feed additives at lower doses can enhance growth, productivity and immunity of the African catfish (C. gariepinus).