A pot experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation timing on growth and flowering of Chrysanthemum morifolium cuttings. AMF inocula were either directly applied to cutting (AMFC), or applied at transplanting stage (AMFT). The data showed: a significant difference in plant growth of AMF treatment compared with non-inoculated treatment at transplanting stage. Rooting rate in AMF treatment was 99% whereas it was 77% in non-mycorrhizal inoculated. The colonization rate was 53.9% in AMF treatment, while no in non-AMF treatment. Tap root length and number of lateral roots in AMF treatments were twice of those recorded for non-AMF treatments. Inoculation of AMF significantly increased shoot and root growth at transplanting stage. After transplantation, chrysanthemum plants in AMFC and AMFT treatments had 76.42 and 64.24% colonization rate, respectively. Plant height, leaf area, root length, fresh and dry weight of shoots, stems and roots in AMF inoculation treatments (AMFC and AMFT) increased significantly than those of control plants. AMF inoculation significantly shortened flowering time compared with non-AMF plants. Fresh weight, width and length of flowers in AMFC and AMFT treatments were generally higher than those in control. However, a significant increase in fresh weight, width and length of flowers was found in AMFC compared with AMFT treatment. A significant increase of macronutrient concentrations in leaves was observed for AMFC treatment compared with control. Mn concentration in AMFC and AMFT was more than double of that in control. In roots, macro and micronutrient concentrations were generally higher in AMFC than AMFT or control treatments

Four olive cultivars namely Manzanello, Picual, Coratina and Arbicon grown at Wadi El-Natroon area, Egypt under drip irrigation system in sandy soil were compared for optimizing their own yield as well as fruit quality parameters during 2001 (off-year) and 2002 (on-year), by application of an integrated and balanced fertigaion program including macro and micro-nutrients. Results showed that remarkable and significant differences in leaf mineral contents, yield and yield quality parameters were detected by using well distributed fertilizer program during the growing season of olive trees. The treated four cultivars attained higher yield in the “on” and “off” year than the control. The most outstanding olive cultivars having greater yield were Picual, Manzanello, Coratina and Arbicon in a descending order. Oil percentage was maximized with Picual olive while, Arbicon olive had the lowest value. Free fatty acids (%), Iodine number as well as Acidity (%) were minimized in Coratina olive and the lowest peroxide number as was in Picual olive. It is apparent that for planting Picual olive variety proved to be the promising one due to its greatest yield and best fruit quality specially when the actual requirements of macro and micro nutrients were used through the drip irrigation system.

Two field trials were carried out at South Tahrir Research Station (Ali- Moubark). These trials were conducted in 2003 and 2004 to evaluate three planting dates of maize (the over story shade crop) intercropped with groundnut i.e, on 1st June, 10th June and 20th June, and four plant densities of maize intercropped with groundnut, i.e, maize was spaced at 50 and 100 cm apart leaving one or two plants/hill. Groundnut (the main crop) was grown on all rows. The data obtained indicate that ear length, ear diameter, number of rows/ear, number of kernels/row and the weight of 100grains increased with increasing maize spacing as well as with diminishing the number of plants remained per hill after thinning (to one plant/ hill). On other hand dense planting resulted in higher yield of maize whether by narrowing maize spacing or increasing the number of maize plants per hill after thinning. Yield and yield components of maize were significantly decreased by delaying planting date of maize up to the latest date. Yield /fed and yield components of groundnut were associated with maize density and distribution. The more the shade offered by maize the less the values of these traits were obtained. Highest values were obtained when maize was spaced at 100cm. and thinned to one plant/ hill. Increases in the values of yield and yield components of groundnut were associated with delaying the planting date of maize. Delaying the planting date of maize resulted in increases in the values of land equivalent ratio (LER) and the relative crowding coefficient. The treatment effect at any planting date of maize exerted very low competitive pressure when aggressivity was measured. With delaying seeding maize, competitive ratio (CR) diminished to the least. Spacing maize at 50cm. apart and leaving two plants / hill after thinning resulted in highest value of LER and relative crowding coefficient (RCC). Nor any maize density had any heavy competitive pressure on groundnut when aggressivity was measured

The aim of present work was to study the toxicity of (mancozeb )Dithane fungicide on fish Claras lazera (catfish) and consequently to human beings.The fishes were exposed to Dithane in dose of 0.5 ppm /L (equivalent of 1/10 of LD50)for 30 days. Different Haematological, Biochemical, Bacteriological, and Immunological parameters were assessed. The results showed significant increase in Blood level of Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Cortisol, Urea, Creatinine, Glucose, Insulin as well as Aspartate Amino Transferase (AST) and Alanine Amino Transferease (ALT)in blood. However there was a decrease in blood level of Iron and IgM, accompanied by decrease in Haemoglobin (HB), Macrocytic hypochromic anemia (R.B.Cs) count, Packed cell volume (PCV) which was observed in fish in 7, 15, 30, days after exposure to Dithane. The Haemogram shows reticulocytosis and increase in mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Dithane produces metabolic stress and cell damage with malfunction of haemopoetic system. Microbiological examination revealed a presence of pathogenic bacteria mainly E. coli, Flavabacterium, and Staphylococcus aureus. It was concluded that in catfish reared on low dietary carbohydrate (CHO) diet there was hyperglycemia due to increase in cortisol hormone. However immunological results revealed decrease in the level of IgM in blood; a loss of scales and petichial haemorrhage in parts of skin was observed. Ascitic and erosion due to complication of bacterial infection, was also accorded.

and 2003 to investigate the interactive effect of Zn and different nitrogen sources, i.e., mineral nitrogen (ammonium sulfate) and organic nitrogen (poultry manure) on the growth and productivity of onion (Allium cepa) cv. Giza 20. Four levels of Zn application (0, 1, 2 and 3 ppm) in a sulfate form were foliar sprayed at 30 and 60 days after planting. Within each Zn application, three treatments of nitrogen dose were applied in different combination forms (mineral and organic sources). Nitrogen treatments were 100% mineral N; 75% mineral + 25% organic and 50% mineral + 50% organic. Organic-N source was poultry manure. All poultry manure treatments were applied during soil preparation. Data showed that all growth parameters of onion plants increased as the fraction of poultry manure increased. Zn had also a positive effect on all plant parameters except of plant length, and leaf dry weight. The interactive effect of Zn and poultry manure increased yield and quality of onion bulbs. The most effective treatments on bulb fresh weight, total yield and quality were the spraying with 1 or 2 ppm zinc and the application of N as 75% mineral and 25% organic, in both seasons

A study on mite species in marjoram and chamomile plantations in Fayoum was carried out during 2003 and 2004 seasons. Twenty-six species were found and divided according to their feeding habits into three major groups, phytophagous (7 species), predaceous (8 species) and a group of debatable feeding habits (11 species). Population density evaluation showed that Tetranychus urticae Koch was the main phytophagous mite on both hosts. The predatory mite Amblyseius cydnodactylon Shehata and Zaher was dominant on marjoram followed by Hemicheyletia bakeri (Ehara). From the debatable group, Pronematus ubiquitus Mc Gregor was the dominant followed by Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) and Paralorryia gizai El-Bagoury. On chamomile, the predatory mite Eupodes niloticus Abou-Awad & El-Bagoury was dominant and from the debatable group, Tydeus kochi Oud. was dominant followed by T. putrescentiae and P. gizai. Population densities were insignificantly affected by temperature and relative humidity.

Twenty nine samples of locally produced honey and twenty two samples of honey pastes were collected from retail outlets in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Their antibacterial activity against some Gram positive and Gram negative foodborne bacterial pathogens using the agar well diffusion method was studied. In addition, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined for honey pastes samples using the dilution method. All samples of honey had antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Salmonella typhimunium on plates of tryptic soy agar with varying diameters of inhibition zones. Samples of honey pastes showed also antibacterial effect against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Salmonella typhimunium adopting the previous technique. MIC varied between honey pastes samples where it was sample dependent.

A comparison on the larvicidial activity of four commercial bacterial and viral bioagents, Profect®, Virotecto®, Viroset® and Protecto® were evaluated on the 2nd and 4th larval instars of Spodoptera littoralis (Biosd.). The LC50 values showed 1.35, 1.52, 1.57 and 1.61 mg/ ml against 2nd instar larvae, respectively. On the other hand, the LC50 values recorded 2.03, 2.5, 2.72 and 3.01 mg/L. on 4th instar larvae of S. littoralis using the above mentioned commercial bioagent products, respectively. The effect on four isozymes, i.e., ,  esterase (EST), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) were evaluated. The obtained results indicated differences in the activity of the isozymes in treated 4th instar larvae as compared to untreated larvae.

In Libya the plants Myrtus communis and Plantago albicans are commonly used in folk medicine to treat various diseases. However, there are a large number of plant compounds which can cause many aberrations in genetic material. This study was carried out to investigate any possible cytotoxic and mutagenic effects for M. communis and P. albicans on mitotic criteria of cell cycle and chromosomes. Two infusion concentrations were prepared for each plant, one of them was used as folk medicine (o.25 mg/ml) and other as to 10 times of this value (2.5 mg/mL). Bean (Vicia faba, L.) root-tip cells (RTC) and Balb / C mice (Mus musculus) bone-marrow cells (BMC) were used as test systems. The M. communis infusions at both concentrations and the P. albicans infusion at the lower concentration had no statistically significant depressive effect on mitotic criteria of RTC. Where as significant depressive effect on these criteria of RTC was found for the high concentration of P. albicans as compared with a negative control. No significant effect on the induction of chromosome aberrations and the rate of mitotic index of BMC was found by using infusions of P. albicans and M. communis as compared with control.

A numerical method was suggested for the identification of eight local halotolerant streptomycete isolates. Cultural, morphological, physiological and antagonistic characteristics of those isolates were determined. Arbitrary scoring of these characters for the eight unknown isolates and those of the more related known Streptomyces species in the keyof Pridham and Tresner (1974) was given and resulted 58 characteristic units. The degree of similarity was determined using the Dice coefficient method and clustering was achieved using the unweighted pair group method average (UPGMA) algorithm. Using this numerical method, six out of the eight Streptomyces isolates, i.e., ST08, ST09, ST11, ST13, ST14 and ST15 were identified as S. longisporus, S. janthinus, S. griseochromogenes, S. antibioticus S. baarnensis and S. albolongus with 100, 95.8, 95.0, 92.8, 95.0 and 91.1%, respectively. Isolates ST10 and ST12 were duplicate of S. echinatus with similarities of 93.3 and 94.6%, respectively. Application of the suggested numerical taxonomy on the 14 known Streptomyces species revealed that these species fell into three major clusters based on their color of aerial mycelia.