This study was conducted in loamy soil at Qaha Experimental Station, Horticulture Research Institute, ARC, Kalubia governorate, during 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 seasons to study the effect of PEG and planting methods on sweet corn productivity. The obtained results indicated that GSS 9377 F1 hybrid plants produced vigorous growth and higher early and total yield than those of Endeavor F1 hybrid. Direct seeding in the open field or under tunnels increased plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves/plant, plant fresh weight, unhusked ear weight, husked ear weight and total yield compared to transplanting methods. Transplanting produced the higher early yield ei-ther with open field or under tunnels. Primed seeds of sweet corn F1 hybrids (GSS 9377 and Endeavor) in PEG 6000 dalton for 6 hours at the concentration of 400 g/L produced taller plants with thicker stem diameter, higher number of leaves/plant and greater fresh weight, higher un-husked and husked ear weight, ear length, higher TSS as well as early and total yield compared to check untreated seeds

A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the agricultural value of a local phosphate rock (PR) as a source of plant phosphorus compared with that of the currently imported triplesuper-phosphate (TSP) .The PR was applied at the rate of 0, 55, and 110 kg P2O5 /ha and the TSP was at the rate of 0, 45 and 90 kg P2O5 /ha. The growth and leaf contents of N, P and K of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) grown on a clay soil were measured. The experiment continued for two sea-sons. Phosphatic fertilizers are of low recovery; therefore, they can remain for the next crop. Thus, the pots of the first season were set to study the residual effect of phosphorus in the second season. The results indicated that PR and TSP significant-ly (P>0.05) increased dry weights of shoot and root, leaf contents of N , P and available soil phosphorus. However, plant height was signifi-cantly increased by TSP only. The leaf content of K was neither affected by PR nor TSP application. The results showed a positive effect of the residual PR and TSP on the measured parameters. Moreo-ver, the results revealed that the plant measure-ments obtained from PR treatments were compa-rable to those obtained from TSP treatments which indicate that PR can be used as a potential source of phosphorus fertilizer.

Two experiments were consummated at the Experimental Farm, National Research Center (NRC), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt during two succes-sive seasons of 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 to eval-uate the effect of natural products as a source of some important elements such as rock phosphate as a source of phosphorous and feldspar mica as a source of potassium with biological potassium phosphorous fertilizer or biological potassium fertilizer (Silicate bacterium) at different levels (0.0, 25, 50 and 100 g/L) on Ruta graveolens L. plant instead of the chemical fertilizes. Adding biological fertilizer with feldspar or rock phos-phate improved vegetative growth characters such as plant height (cm), branches number/ plant, fresh and dry weights of different plant parts i.e. leaves, stems and roots (g/plant), in addition to some chemical constituents as essential oil, total flavo-noides, P, K, Fe, Zn and Cu content. On the other hand, the main constituents of essential oil and N content were decreased compared with adding recommended chemical fertilizers.

The predatory phytoseiid mites Euseius scutal-is (El-Badry) and Typhlodrompis swirskii (Athias–Henriot) successfully developed and reproduced on strawberry leaves, infested with mymphs of the two-spotted spider mite Tetramychus urticae kock as prey, of both Yaeel (smooth slight hairy) and Vantana (rough dense hairy) cultivars indicating a different effect of leaf surface on their behaviour at 27o C and 70% RH.Yaeel leaf was the most appropriate surface and Vantana ones was the least. Longevity was the greatest on Yaeel (31.92 and 28.48 days) and the shortest on Vantana (19.40 and 15.50 days) for each predator, respec-tively. The total number of eggs/ female was 39.00 and 41.34 on Yaeel and 21.02 and 19.68 on Vantana, respectively. Population of the two pred-ators multiply 29.21 and 27.41 in a generation time of 15.78 and 13.93 days on Yaeel, whilst they were (Ro= 14.77 and 14.79) and (T= 14.26 and 12.55 days)on Vantana, respectively. Life table parameters also indicated that the smooth Yaeel leaves are better host-plants for predators in terms rm and erm. Trichomes characteristics on midrib and blade of Yaeel and Vantana strawberry leaves were determined

Different applications [various potato cultivars, chemical fertilizers, bioagents and chemical in-ducers] were used for controlling brown rot dis-ease of potato. Potato cultivars namely Diamant, Desiree, Herms, Lady Joy, Lady Rossetta, Nicola, Spunta and Valor were variably susceptible to Ralstonia solanacearum, the causal pathogen of brown rot disease. Herms cultivar was the least susceptible. Application of ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate, Urea, and calcium superphos-phate to infested soil as a single amendment re-duced disease incidence. Application of calcium superphosphate was the most effective treatment. The bioagents Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseu-domonas putida and Bacillus subtilis were effec-tive in controlling disease when were used sepa-rately and Pseudomonas putida was the most effi-cient. Foliar spraying with different inducers sin-gly [salicylic acid, di-potassium hydrogen phos-phate and tri-potassium phosphate] reduced the disease incidence. Tri-potassium phosphate was the most effective against the disease. Therefore, a management programme was suggested including cultivar Herms, calcium superphosphate, Pseudo-monas putida and tri-potassium phosphate, as in-tegrated treatment. Rotation of these agents showed high effectiveness to disease control as well on the yield increase.

Soil solarization in combination with fungal antagonists and soil amendments has been sub-jected to evaluation as a potential disease man-agement strategy for the control of charcoal rot of sesame caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. Solarization alone or in combination with Trichoderma pseudokoningii and Emericella nidulans singly or in mixed inocula reduces dis-ease incidence from 30 % (control) to 80%, 91 %, 82 % and 85% respectively. It is noted that while pairing improved the biocontrols potentiality of E. nidulans by increasing the number of healthy plants in both unsolarized and solarized soils it leads to decrease in the biocontrol potentiality of T. pseudokoningii. On the other hand the combina-tion of solarization with soil amendment with Eu-calyptus powdered leaves showed a synergistic effect by increasing number of healthy plants from 65 % in amended unsolarized soil to 77 % in amended solarized soil.

A two years (2002/2003, 2003/2004) study was conducted at Hada Al-Sham Agriculture Re-search Station, Makkah Region (King Abdulaziz University) to determine the effects of three dif-ferent dripper discharges (0.5, 1, and 2 gph) on cabbage production, characteristics of its part and its nitrogen contents in whole plant and its parts. Results show a significant increase in Copenhagen variety production (38.5 tone/ha) as compared to Bronzweek Variety (30.2 tone/ha). Also, the drip-per discharge significantly affected the cabbage production, characteristics of head, stem, root or leaves area, whereas cabbage production and char-acteristics of all plant parts (head, stem, root and leaves area) were reduced with the increase in dripper discharge more than 0.5 gph, however, the reduction was not significant between discharges of 1 and 2 gph. The cabbage production were 44.3, 29.7 and 28.9 tone/ha for dripper discharges of 0.5, 1 and 2 gph, respectively). In addition, the interaction between season and variety had only significant effects on root length. Also, there were significant effects for the interaction between dripper discharge and season on cabbage produc-tion and root length. Results also showed that first season (2003) produced cabbage plant significant-ly higher than the second season (2004) in nitro-gen content for both whole plant (2.72% and 2.45% for first and second season, respectively) and head (3.63% and 2.72% for first and second season, respectively). Also, Copenhagen variety significantly outweighs Bronzweek variety on nitrogen content in whole plant (2.88% and 2.30% for Copenhagen variety and Bronzweek variety, respectively), leaf (2.69% and 2.16% for Copen-hagen variety and Bronzweek variety, respective-ly), and stem (2.72% and 2.08% for Copenhagen variety and Bronzweek variety, respectively). On the other hand, the increase in dripper discharge more than 0.5 gph resulted significant reduction in nitrogen content for whole plant (3.10%, 2.44% and 2.22% for dripper discharges of 0.5, 1 and 2 gph, respectively) and its parts (head, stem and leaves) whereas the dripper with less discharge (0.5 gph) outweigh the higher discharge drippers (1 and 2 gph). However, the increase of dripper discharge from 1 gph to 2 gph had only significant reduction in the nitrogen content of head. The re-sults also show that interaction between season and variety had only significant effects on nitro-gen content in whole plant. There were also signif-icant effects for the interaction between season and drip discharge on nitrogen content of whole plant and its leaf.

Different coloured plastic buckets (yellow, red, blue and white), filled with water were used as traps for adults of Tropinota squalida Scop. in apple orchards at El-Khatatba (El-Behaira Gover-norate) during seasons 2005 and 2006. The gen-eral mean numbers of adults/ trap were 6.0, 8.1, 14.4 and 24.1 in 2005 and 4.7, 6.7, 10.5 and 18.7 in 2006 seasons for white, red, yellow and blue traps, respectively. The general means for trap efficiency (two seasons) were 9.8, 13.7, 23.2 and 39.3 for white, red, yellow and blue traps, respec-tively. Two groups of white plastic cups, group filled with blue water solution and another group filled with water were used as traps and slung in apple trees. The general mean numbers of adults/trap were 8.1 & 7.5 for blue water solution and 5.8 & 5.2 for water traps during 2005 and 2006, respectively. The general means of trap effi-ciency (two seasons) were 36.8 and 25.9% for the above mentioned traps, respectively

Weeds represent the most serious problem in wheat in Egypt. For their control, two field exper-iments were carried out during two winter seasons (2004/2005) and (2005/2006) at National Re-search Centre experimental station at Shalakan, Kalubia Governorate. Some groups of herbicides (Dirby, Harmony extra, Granstar, Ecopart, Illoxan, Topic and Arelon) as well as hand weeding and unweeded treatments were evaluated in wheat. In addition, herbicide combinations were also as-sessed. Harmony extra at 24 g / fed. provided ac-ceptable control for broad leaved weeds but failed to control completely narrow-leaved weeds. Topic at 140 g / fed. provided great control of narrow weeds (97.68% reduction in dry weight after 90 days from sowing). Mixtures of both Harmony extra +Topic at rates (18 g / fed. +105 g / fed.) were better than Harmony extra alone for weed control (99.19 % control, 90 days after sowing) and grain yield. Concerning the other herbicides, Granstar + Topic were effective in controlling both broad and narrow weeds. The efficacy of Harmony extra + Illoxan was lower (91.2% con-trol). Overall, Arelon or mixture of Harmony extra +Topic were the most effective treatments with regard to weed control and wheat growth, yield and its attributes. However, no carryover damage with all used herbicides was observed on wheat. Estimating individual amino acids in the yielded grain revealed increase in essential and nonessen-tial amino acids due to single or combined appli-cation of herbicides. Pronounced increase was recorded with Harmony extra and Topic

The interactions between dietary zinc, copper and iron and their effects on antioxidant enzymes activity [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST)] were examined. Fifty-four rats weighting approximately between 80-100 grams were divided into nine groups (E1- E9). Each group containing six rats was fed on basal diet with varying amount of Zn (2.5, 35 or 175 mg Zn/kg diet), Cu (1.2, 6.3, or 25 mg Cu/kg diet) and Fe (10, 50 or 230 mg Fe/kg diet). The second group (E2) was fed a diet defi-cient in all studied elements (2.5mg Zn, 1.2mg Cu, and 10mg Fe per 1 kg diet). The results of E2 showed a decrease in SOD and CAT activity and increase GST in plasma erythrocytes and tissues. Moreover, plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive sub-stances (TBARs) and hydrogen peroxide produc-tion in E2 were found to be higher than those in other groups. The high activity of lactic acid de-hydrogenase (LDH) in the plasma indicated that cell membrane damage was occurred. This dam-age was accompanied by elevation of lipid peroxi-dation and in the same time by reduction of SOD and CAT activity. Supplementation of basal diet with the different concentrations of studied miner-als led to improve the activity of antioxidants en-zymes (SOD and CAT) and decrease in TBARs and LDH activity.