Two pot experiments were performed in Giza research station, AgriculturalResearch Center (ARC) using 2 isolates of Pink-Pigmented FacultativelyMethylotrophic bacteria (PPFMs) originated from chickpea and Faba bean. Foliarapplication with PPFM isolates were conjugated with specific rhizobial inoculumand N-fertilization (15 Kg N Fed-1). Nodulation status, nitrogen fixation and growthyield and yield component were recorded. Results clearly indicated that Chickpeawas superior in its response to foliar application with PPFM.C. As it gave higherrecords of number and dry weight of nodules, dry matter and N-content of plants ascompared to Faba bean. A field experiment was also conducted in sandy loam soil atSouth EL-Tahreer province to investigate the effect of foliar application withPPFM.C strain + specific Rhizobia and N-fertilization on nodulation, growth andyield of chickpea legume plants. Results indicated that foliar application withPPFM.C in the presence of specific rhizobial inoculation scored significant increasesin economic turnover of chickpea in the range of 21-32% as compared to Nfertilizationat rate 50 Kg N Fed-1. Foliar application with 5 L Fed-1 in the presenceof 15 Kg N Fed-1 and specific rhizobial inoculation led to an increase of 518 kg fed -1productivity of seed yield , with economic turnover of 2491 L.E.

Sorting and classification of fruits are the main problem specially for Superiorand King Ruby varieties which represent more than 50% of grape production inEgypt. A usual procedure to carry out this task is based on human visual inspectionconsidering general fruit attributes like color, size, shape, firmness and sugar contentof grape cluster. Color contains important information about fruit status and in somecases it is decisive for fruit quality differences. This paper provides a new techniqueto investigate the applicability of color classification, sugar content and firmness ofgrape. Standard RGB color chart, artificial neural network and a potential of nearinfrared(NIR) reflectance as a means for nondestructive measurements of grapefirmness and sugar content were used. NIR spectral data were collected from the twovarieties of grape in the spectral region between 800 nm and 1700 nm. Statisticalmodels were developed using the partial least square method to predict the firmnessand sugar content of grape. The models gave relatively good predictions of thefirmness of both Superior and King Ruby, with corresponding r values of 0.80 and0.65. The NIR models gave excellent prediction for grape sugar content with valuesof 0.71 % and 0.65 % Brix for Superior and King Ruby, respectively.

Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans is one of the most destructive dis-eases potato in Egypt and world wide. Stability of resistance to late blight was eva-luated in twenty five potato cultivars during 2003 and 2004 successive seasons un-der heavy natural infection. Data showed that the potato cultivars Altesse, Occania, Safrane and Soleia highly resistant while cultivars Daisy, Hermine and Isabel rec-orded the highest susceptibility to late blight. Application different fungicide against potato late blight revealed that Aquagen Bro and Previcur-N were the best effective fungicides in reducing disease severity and progress of late blight. Data showed also that the losses of tubers due to late blight in season 2003 ranged from 11.75 Kg/plot (cultivar Hermes) to 18.0 Kg/plot (cultivar Lady Roseta) while in season 2004, yield losses ranged from 11.25 Kg/plot (cultivar Hermes) to 23.75 Kg/plot (cultivar Spun-ta). The results demonstrate that integration of Previcur-N treatment with host resis-tance was effective in reducing late blight and tuber yield loss of potato.

The production of probiotic low calorie sour cream was aimed to experiment in relation to its compositional, bacteriological, biochemical, rheological and organo-leptic properties along the cold storage period of the product. Cream based on 36% total solids (TS) and 30 % fat was made using the obtained fresh cream (54 % TS and 50 % fat) and liquid skimmed milk (9 % TS).To produce low-calorie sour cream, fat content was lowered to 20 and 10 % depending on the addition of Sim-plesse100® to mimic milk fat on the basic of 0.1% fat mimetic is instead of 1.0% fat. Dried whey protein concentrate (DWPC, 95 % TS) was used as bulking agent to overcome the loss occurred in the TS content due to the reduction in the fat content. Thereafter, all creams were homogenized at 55-60°C and further heat treated to 74°C for 30 sec. followed by rapidly cooling to the appropriate temperatures. Then creams were inoculated with 2% freshly prepared bacterial starter culture and incu-bated at 30 or 37 °C, to reach pH value about 4.6, for cream cultured with R-704 or ABT-2 type starter culture, respectively. The results indicated that, the proportional fat replacement of cream led to gradual increase in the protein, carbohydrate and ash contents, and decreased the caloric value. There are a backward relationship between the bacterial population and the fat content of the sour cream. Where, in the product cultured with ABT-2 type, Lactobacillus acidophilus grew and predominated in all other accompanying strains overlooking either the fat content or the cold storage pe-riod (CSP). Streptococcus thermophilus populated the 2nd predominance order fol-lowed by Bifidobacterium sp., which tended to proximate and preceded, actually, Str. thermophilus by prolonging the CSP of the lowest fat-content cream (10%). The increase rate of the bacterial count continued until 3rd weak for Lb. acidophilus and to 1st weak for Bifidobacterium sp.. Thereafter, gradual decreases were occurred. However, Str. thermophilus began to decrease from the 1st day of CSP. Although the count of bacterial type R-704 was always higher, it behaved a trend similar to that of Bifidobacterium sp. toward the CSP. Sour cream of ABT-2 type contained higher ti-tratable acidity (TA) % as well as lower pH, acetaldehyde (AC) and diacetyl (DA) values than that cultured with R-704 type. Along CSP of sour cream the increment in AC, DA and TA contents continued, in order, until the 7th , 14th and the end of theFayed; Gehan Hussein and Azza FarahatArab Univ. J. Agric. Sci., 14(2), 2006experimental period. As the protein content raised at the expanse of the fat content via adding DWPC, which was in the denatured form, the firmness, consistency coef-ficient, and yield stress of sour cream increased, especially when ABT-2 type was used and the CSP progressed. Furthermore, ABT-2 sour cream was sensory distin-guished with, nearly, similar appearance as will as better flavour and consistency ra-ther than that of R-704. The fat reduction to 20 % did not influence the overall sen-sory quality, while that of 10% fat attained panel score averaged 93.5 % of the con-trol when ABT-2 type was used. As a conclusion, it is successfully possible to pro-duce probiotic low calorie sour cream with excellent sensory attributes using Sim-plesse100® as fat mimetic and bacterial type ABT-2 as starter culture.

This study, based on a collaborative project with the Regional Council forResearch and Agricultural Extension, was carried out at an experimental farm of asandy soil belonging to Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, El-BustanRegion, Beheira Governorate, during two seasons (2004&2005) on an area of 5850m2. The experiment was designed in a split plot, arranged in a randomized completeblocks with three replications. Irrigation operations [Drip(DI)/Sprinkler(SI)] wereassigned to the main plots, while weed control methods (hoe weeding/herbicide usedthrough either conventional spraying with 0.300kg/fed concentration or herbigationwith three herbicide concentrations of 0.150, 0.225 and 0.300kg/fed.) were assignedto the subplots. The data were statistically analyzed by the Least Squares Methodusing a model involving the two factors (irrigation system and weed control method)and their interaction as affecting eradication percent, tomato yield/fed., and cost ofcontrol operation. The effect on herbicide residues in the tomatoes was alsoinvestigated

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%).