In present set of investigations the chemoprotective effect of green tea and ginger extracts has been evaluated using in vivo chromosomal aberrations assay in albino mice (Mus musculus). The organophosphate agropesticide malathion, 80% technical grade consider as a potent genotoxic agent, was given at a single dose 230 mg/kg b.w. (1/12 LD50) intraperitoneally. Pretreatment with 4 and 3% of freshly prepared green tea (GTI), ginger (GI) extracts, respectively and the mixture of both extracts (GTI+GI) were given through oral incubation for 6 days prior to malathion administration. Animals from all the groups were sacrified at sampling times of 24 and 48 hours and their bone marrow cells were analyzed for chromosomal damages. The animals of the positive control group (Malathion alone) showed a significant increase in chromosomal aberrations both at 24 and 48 h sampling time. The green tea and ginger extracts, alone did not significantly induced aberrations at either sampling time, conforming their non-mutagenicity. However, significant suppressions in the chromosomal aberrations were recorded following pretreatment with green tea and ginger extracts administration. The antigenotoxic effects of both extracts separately and in mixture were also evident, as observed by significant increase in mitotic index, when compared to positive control group. Reduction in malathion induced clastogenicity by both extracts, was evident at 24 h and to a much greater extent at 48 h of cell cycle. Thus results of the present investigations revealed that green tea and ginger extracts have chemoprotective potential against malathion induced chromosomal mutations in albino mice.

Bacterial canker caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Smith) and bacterial spot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Doidge) Dye have become important diseases of tomato in Egypt. The present work was planned to evaluate the reaction of different tomato cultivars and the role of seeds to transmit both pathogens. Cultivars of Dora, Flora-Dade, KTM141, Money Maker, Niagra, Super strain B hybrid and GS12 were moderately resistant to both diseases, but Castle rock, Peto 86 and Super strain B cultivars were susceptible. However, Castle rock, Peto 86, Super strain B and Niagra cultivars were highly susceptible for bacterial canker than spot disease. Using the Liquid assay method, C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis bacterium could be detected in seeds of cultivars Dora, KTM141, Niagra and Super strain B hybrid, but X. campestris pv. vesicatoria was detected on seeds of cultivars GS12, Peto 86 and Super Marmand. However, both bacterial pathogens were not detected in seeds of all cultivars, except GS12, when direct planting method on selective media was used. In an in vivo assay, bacterial canker has developed more than bacterial spot disease on tomato seedlings produced from non-treated seeds. Bacterial canker has developed on all tested cultivars at different frequencies. Transmission of both pathogens occurred at high frequency by seeds of cultivars Niagra and Dora, however bacterial spot was not borne on samples of other tomato cultivars

Dill ( Anethum graveolens L.) plants were cultivated during two successive seasons (2002/2003 and 2003/2004). The experimental were conducting at the Experimental Farm, National Research Center (NRC), Egypt, to study the effect of different combination of organic fertilizers such as chicken and sheep manure and its rates on dill ( Anethum graveolens L.) plants. The obtained results indicated that, treated plants with different combination of organic fertilizers and its rates resulted in a significant increase in growth and yield characters , i.e. plant height, branch number, leaf number, umbel number, fresh weight, dry weight and fruit yield / plant in comparison with control plants. Chemical composition analysis of treated plants showed an increase in the essential oil percentage and main components (Carvone (R) and Limonene) of essential oil extracted from dill (Anethum graveolens L.) fruits. Treated plants showed a decreases in the heavy metals content in the plant tissues comparison to untreated plants. Also these results indicated that the application of organic manure reduced the harmful effects of hazardous heavy metals

Two field experiments were conducted during the summer season of 2003 and 2004 to study the effect of organic and bio-organic fertilizers [esterna biofert, compost, biocompost and effective microorganisms (Em)] on vegetative growth, yield and physical and chemical components in tubers of local and fuseau Jerusalem artichoke cultivars. Results indicated that Em, biocompost and biofert significantly increased plant height, number of main and lateral shoots and dry weight as well as the concentrations of Chl (a+b), carotenoids and total carbohydrates in the leaves. Moreover, dry matter, inulin, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of tubers showed a significant increases. The highest vegetative growth and tuber yield were obtained when Em, biocompost and biofert were applied. The respective increase in lateral shoots, Chl (a + b), carotenoids, average tuber weight and size were higher in local cultivar. Whereas fuseau cultivar tubers showed greater dry matter than those of local variety. The application of Em, biocompost and biofert fertilizers in both local and fuseau cultivar gave the relatively higher yield with good quality.

The current study was carried out at the Agricultural and Veterinary Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the two seasons 2003/2004 and 2003/2004. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of irrigation scheduling methods with different amounts of applied water on date palme offshoot growth, Determination offshoot consumptive use, crop coefficient, actual water requirements and the suitable soil moisture tension in the root zone before irrigation. The irrigation was scheduling by three methods, evapotranspiration calculation method, soil moisture depletion  method and farmer method (control). The evapotranspiration  calculation method (ETo) included ten treatments as a percentage of evapotranspiration (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0 ETo). The soil moisture depletion method included five treatments of soil moisture depletion as a percentage of field capacity (50%Fc, 60%Fc, 70% Fc, 80% Fc and 90% Fc). The results showed that scheduling irrigation of the offshoot by evapotranspiration calculation method (ETo) or by soil moisture depletion  method, the amount of applied water decreased and the offshoot growth and the water use efficiency increased; compared with the farmer scheduling method. The daily and seasonal gross irrigation requirements for date palm offshoots were 51.3 l/day and 2191 m3/hec.year, while the farmer applied 19960 m3/h.year. So, the farmer added seven times as much as the actual gross irrigation requirements. The maximum water use efficiency were 2.5 kg/m3 and 1.44 kg/m3 for the treatments 0.1 ETo and 50% Fc, respectively. The suitable soil  moisture tension in the root zone before irrigation were 21.5  to 22 C-bar and 22.5 to 23 C-bar for 60 cm and 90 cm depths, respectively.

Sage leaves were successively extracted with water, chloroform: methanol (2:1, v/v), n- hexane, benzene, diethyl ether, chloroform, chloroform:  methanol (8:2, v/v) and dichloromethan. Antioxidant activities were detected using two methods :1. The carotene spray method and 2.Measuring the coupled oxidation of β–carotene and linoleic acid. Generally, all extracts had antioxidant activities when tested by the first method. By means of the second method, the extracts of water, diethyl ether and chloroform : methanol( 8:2, v/v ) showed the greatest antixidant activities , followed by the extracts of organic and aqueous phases ( which were extracted with chloroform: methanol, 2:1, v/v), dichloromethan and chloroform, while the n- hexane and benzene extracts showed low activities.

A test survey was conducted to determine the nutritional status of apple trees grown at four highly productive orchards in south of Jordan. Leaf and soil samples were taken from each orchard, and analyzed for the concentrations of macro- and micronutrients. Soils of Al-Shoubak tend to have high pH, low organic matter and high CaCO3 contents. The results showed that soil concentrations of N, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu varied widely among the orchards. No deficiency or hunger signs of N, P, K, Mn and Zn nutrients were observed at any of the localities since concentrations of leaf nutrients were generally within the sufficient range, indicating adequate lev-els of fertilization applied to the trees. The leaf analysis has shown that Cu deficien-cy is found in some apple orchards. Soils and leaf nutrient levels were generally not well correlated with one another. The only highly significant correlation was be-tween soil P and leaf N. However, positive relations were observed among leaf P and Mn, Fe and Mn, Fe and Zn, and Mn and Zn contents.

Stem node explants of three almond (Prunus dulcis Mill) cultivars (Om – Elfahm, M-Dalt and Ne Plus Ultra) and the hybrid rootstock “Hansen” cv. were suc-cessfully established and proliferated on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) sup-plemented with benzyl adenine (BA) at 0.0 - 2.0 mgl -1 and indol butyric acid (IBA) at 0.0 - 0.1 mgl-1 .The highest bud development percentage of stem node explant was obtained with medium contained BA at 2 mgl-1 with or without IBA at 0.1 mgl-1 for M – Dalet and Ne Plus Ultra almond cultivars compared with other treatments. The longest shoot during establishment stage was recorded by “Hansen” rootstock cultured in MS with BA at 2.0 mgl-1 plus IBA at 0.01 mgl-1.Using BA at 1.0 mgl-1 plus IBA at 0.1 mgl-1 and BA at 2.0 mgl -1 plus 0.05 or 0.1 mgl -1gave the highest number of proliferated shoots for Om – Elfahm, M-Dalt and Ne Puls Ultra cvs. and “Hansen”, respectively in the 3rd subculture. The best average proliferated shoot length was achieved with medium supplemented with BA at 1.0 mgl-1 plus IBA at 0.05 mgl-1 or 0.1 mgl-1 for M-Dalt, Ne Puls Ultra and “Hansen” respectively, where-as, using BA at 2.0 mgl -1 plus IBA at 0.1 mgl -1 recorded the longest average prolif-erated shoot for Om- Elfahm cultivar. Microshoots were rooted in modified Bourgin and Nitsch medium supplemented with IBA or NAA at 1.0 mgl-1 only or combination (0.2 IBA mgl-1 + NAA 0.4 mgl-1, IBA 0.4 mgl-1 + NAA 0.8 mgl-1 and IBA 0.5 mgl-1 + NAA 1.0 mgl-1). The large callus (more than 10 mm diameter) was recorded with “Hansen” rootstock and Om – Elfahm treated by IBA at 0.4 mgl -1 plus NAA at 0.8 mgl -1. The greatest rooting percentage (66.67%) was obtained with medium contained IBA at 0.2 or 0.4 mgl-1 plus NAA at 0.4 or 0.8 mgl-1 for “Hansen” rootstock and Ne Plus Ultra shoots.

The present investigation was carried out during two successive seasons of 2002 and 2003 on Canino Apricot trees budded on seedlings rootstock at a private orchard located at El-Khatatba district, Menofia Governorate Egypt. Trees were sprayed at full-bloom stage with boron, GA3 and active dry yeast at different concentration alone or in their combinations. Results showed that spraying Boron, GA3 and active dry yeast either singly or in combination caused a remarked promotion in leaf min-eral status, yield and fruit quality compared with control treatment Combined appli-cation solution of 400ppm Boric acid, 40ppm GA3 and 2% active dry yeast at full bloom stage gave the best results with regard to the yield and fruit quality of Canino Apricot.

Fractionation and acylation by ethyl alcohol and acetic anhydride were carried out to produce a modified corn germ and sunflower lecithins from their crude leci-thins. Emulsification activity and emulsion stability indices (EAI & ESI) were de-termined at different pH values (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) for commercial and studied leci-thins. EAI was significantly improved in modified lecithins in comparison to crude lecithins with increasing rate of 52.9 and 58.6 % for corn germ and sunflower etha-nol soluble fraction lecithins and 15.6 and 20.5 % for acylated corn germ and sun-flower lecithins, respectively. The changes in ESI after times of 20, 40 and 60 min. showed a higher stability of emulsions prepared using modified lecithins which were closed to that prepared using commercial soy lecithin. Caramel was prepared using commercial soy, corn germ, sunflower lecithins and their modified forms. Hardness of tested samples was determined in the start of storage time while, acid value, per-oxide value, fatty acid pattern and sensory attributes were determined during storage period at room temperature for six months. Data revealed insignificant difference in caramels hardness. Samples contained crude sunflower; acylated corn germ and sun-flower lecithins were more sensitive to oxidation while, those prepared using com-mercial soy, crude corn germ, ethanol soluble fraction of corn germ and sunflower lecithins showed higher oxidative stability with significant differences (P<0.05). Concerning sensory evaluation, both ethanol soluble fractions and acylated lecithins produced high quality caramels not differed (P>0.05) to control one that contained commercial soy lecithin. The quality and quantity of lecithin that used in prepared of caramel samples played a major role in their characteristics. The modified corn germ and sunflower lecithin forms were preferred than the raw lecithins owing to their higher emulsifying activity and lesser quantity used. The ethanol soluble lecithins fraction, especially of corn germ can be competitive to the commercial soy lecithin in all emulsified food products.