This investigation has been performed in Mariout Research Station, Desert Research Center (D.R.C.) throughout two successive growing seasons of 2002 / 2003 and 2003 / 2004. Canary grass plants were raised under 9 treatments which were the combinations of 3 biofertilizer sources i.e. Azotobacter, Azospirillum and uninoculated control and 3 micronutrients i.e. 2% FeSo4, 1% MnSO4 and control. The treatments were arranged in split-plot design with three replications.           The important results obtained can be summarized as follows: 1-    Maximum values of all growth parameters tested of canary grass plants were obtained when seeds were inoculated with Azotobacter compared to inoculation with Azospirillum or uninoculated control. Fresh and dry forage yields followed the same trend of growth parameters in their response to the different biofertilizer resources. 2-     All growth and forage yield traits of canary grass plants were increased when the plants were sprayed with 2% FeSo4 compared to spraying with 1% MnSo4 or control treatment.

A laboratory investigation was conducted to study the effect of constant tempera-ture on some biological aspects of english grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius). The present work was carried out in electrical incubators provided with photoperiod of 16 : 8 (L : D) and 55 – 60% R.H. Data revealed that the english grain aphid passed through four instars to reach maturity. The duration period of the nymphal stage was 19.0, 13.98, 11.96, 8.51 and 7.5 days at 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 °C, respectively. Developmental threshold of this stage is found to be 4.2 °C. The thermal units re-quired for complete one generation was 148 day – degrees. Life table parameters were as following : The reproduction rate (Ro) were 18.75, 30.72, 36.53, 44.21 and 32.42; mean generation time (GT) were 26.16, 21.23, 17.39, 11.92 and 9.86 days; population doubling time (DT) of the english aphid were 6.19, 4.29, 3.35, 2.18 and 1.96; intrinsic rate of increase (rm) were 0.1121, 0.1613, 0.2069, 0.3178 and 0.3528 and finite rate of increase (λ) were 1.119, 1.175, 1.229, 1.374 and 1.423 at 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 °C, respectively. The results indicated clearly that the favourable range temperature for development and multiplication the english grain aphid be-tween 18 and 24°C.

A field strain of pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saund.) collected from Sharquia Governorate, Egypt was exposed to the selection pressure of the for-mulation of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. Kurstaki, Dipel 2x under laboratory condi-tions. Resistance ratio attained 16-fold based on the susceptible strain after 14 gen-erations of selection. Study the response of Dipel 2x resistant strain to some insecti-cides indicated that there is no cross resistance to the conventional insecticides, es-fenvalerate, chlorpyriphos and thiodicarb or the bioinsecticides Ecotech and Agerin. These data may be emphasizing the possibility of rotation the Dipel 2x with these insecticides in pest control program of pink bollworm to manage resistance to Bt products.

Buffaloe's milk was used for the manufacture of Zabady. Control, Zabady made by using 3% of the regular starter. 1.5% of the regular Zabady starter was added to the other three parts, then 1.5% of Bifidobacterium bifidium, ABT or autolyzed S. thermophilus were added to the other three parts respectively. The result showed an increase in acidity of control zabady, while bifidobacterium decreased the acidity and curd tension, and increased pH value, coagulation time and synersis. Organolep-tic properties showed an improve in the flavour of zabady by using bifidobacterium in the end of storage compared to the other treatments.

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.

North Carolina Design III was used to estimate gene effects in bread wheat crosses. Twelve Egyptian bread wheat genotypes i.e. Sakha 69, Sakha 8, Gemmeiza 1, Gemmeiza 3, Gemmeiza 7, Giza 160, , Giza 162, Giza 164, Giza 165, Sids 1, Sids 3 and Sids  4, each was crossed back to testers, high performing (Gemmeiza 9) and low performing parent (Sakha 92) during three winter successive seasons i.e. 2002/2003, 2003/2004 and 2004/2005, to study; heading date (days) plant height (cm), flag leaf length (cm) flag leaf width (cm), flag leaf area (cm)2, extrusion length (cm), number of spikelets/spike, spike grain weight (g.), number of spikes/plant, number of grains/spike, 1000-grain weight (g.) and grain yield/plant (g.) characters. Results indicated that epistasis played great role in the inheritance of all studied characters except number of spikes/plant. Additive(D)and dominance(H) genetic variances were significant in all studied characters except number of spikes/plant and number of grains/spike. The additive genetic variance was more than dominance for heading date, plant height, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, extrusion length, spike length and 1000- grain weight. The ratio of (H./D) 0.5 was less than one for these characters but for the remaining characters the dominance genetic variance was more than additive. The values of(F) indicated that dominance was unidirectional for flag leaf length and flag leaf area, whereas it was ambidirectional for the remaining characters Prediction results revealed that it could be possible to derive reasonable proportion of new recombinants which are falling out side parental range for heading date, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, spike length, number of spikelets/spike, number of spikes/plant, 1000- grain weight and grain yield/plant. Genetic correlation indicated that additive, dominance and epistasis gene effects controlling grain yield/plant and spike grain weight, number of spikes/plant, number of grains/spike, 1000- grain weight, were signifant, suggesting common genetic pool or pleiotropy. Thus, selection based on additive genetic correlation indicated that indirect selection via, spike grain weight, number of spikes/plant, number of grains/spike and 1000- grain weight would be effective and enhance its importance as selection criteria .

Bacterial angular leaf spot disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans is an important foliage disease of cucumber, under protected cultivation system. The present work was planned to control the disease using bio-agents and abiotic agents alone or combining, under greenhouse and commercial plastic house conditions. Data obtained indicated that application of bio- and abiotic agents decreased severity of bacterial angular leaf spot disease of cucumber, compared with the control. Fluorescent Pseudomonads (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens and P. putida isolates) were more effectiveness than isolate of Bacillus subtilis to reduce the disease severity, when they were applied as soil drench treatment. Application of abiotic agents as foliar treatment was more effective than as seed treatment to decrease the disease severity. Isolates of P. fluorescens or P. putida as bio-agents and salicylic acid or ethephone as abiotic agents were the most effective against the disease. Disease severity was significantly reduced by increasing rates of abiotic agents. However, interaction between bio-agents (P. fluorescens or P. putida isolates) as soil treatment and abiotic agents (salicylic acid or ethephone) as foliar treatment greatly decreased severity of bacterial angular leaf spot disease of cucumber, under greenhouse and commercial plastic house condition, compared with the control. Combination between P fluorescens isolate as soil treatment and salicylic acid as foliar treatment were the most effective against the disease

Larval parasitoids of the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella Zell. were surveyed in potato and tomato fields in Menofyia Governorate in 2003. Three species were found to attack P. operculella larvae infesting potato plants; the endoparasitoids, Apanteles litae var. operculellae Nixon and Diadegma molliplum Hlmgrn. and the ectoparasitoid, Bracon instabilis Marshal. Meanwhile, only B.instabilis was found to attack the larvae infesting tomato leaves. Percentages of parasitism in potato fields averaged 10.8, 5.6 and2.6 % by B.instabilis, A.litae and D.molliplum, respectively. The total percentages of parasitism by the three species ranged from 11.0 to 28.6 % with an average of 19.1 % in potato field, while it ranged in tomato fields from 0.0 to 21.4 % with an average of 11.1 % by B. instabilis

Several nurseries of olives in Fayoum and Giza were surveyed for root rot incidence during early summer of 2003. In Fayoum, root rot incidence reached 53% while in Giza, disease incidence was 44%. Disease symptoms consist of partial wilting, leaves browning and twig dieback, which was associated with severe root rot and basal stem cankers and followed, in most cases, by plant decline and death. The most frequently isolated fungi from rotted roots were Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, F. moniliforme, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, Cylindrocarpon sp.  and Alternaria alternata. Isolation frequency of different fungi varied among olive cultivars. Generally, Fusarium spp. were the most frequently isolated  pathogens and Fusarium oxysporum was the most frequent (35.5%) on all cultivars followed by F. solani (19.3%) R. solani (16.1%). Meanwhile, S. rolfsii, F. moniliforme, Cylindrocarpon sp. and A. alternata occurred at lowfrequencies. Pathogenicity tests showed that all tested isolates caused varied degrees of root rot symptoms on olive transplants, cvs. Manzanillo and Picual. Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani and R. solani caused the highest root rot incidence and severity on both cultivars. There was a positive correlation between disease severity on roots and severity of foliar symptoms. All evaluated olive cultivars were susceptible or extremely susceptible to fungal pathogens. All cultivars showed high disease severity with root rots, especially in response to infection by F. solani, F. oxysporum and S.  rolfsii. However, the least foliar symptoms were recorded on cultivar Coratina. Application of two commercial biological control products (Rhizo-Plus and Trichoderma 2000) to soil, 24h before planting olive cuttings in the nursery, significantly reduced incidence of root rot on transplants of cultivars Manzanillo and Picual, up to 28 weeks after planting

Preparationof either Bacillus thuringiensis or Trichoderma harzianum  were used as seed coating or soil application for management of root-knot and root rot disease complex caused by the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica and the fungus Rhizoctonia solani on soybean plants. Number of galls, root galling, egg masses and disease severity were reduced sharply on plants treated with both biocontrol agents, either as seed or soil application compared with non-treated plants. Soil application with both biocontrol agents was the best method in reducing nematode and fungus disease severity. Plant growth parameters i.e. fresh shoot and root weight, dry weight and number of pods and bacterial nodules were markedly increased with all treatments of biocontrol agent either with seed or soil treatment compared to plants grown in infested soil with either pathogens alone or combined. Results show that plant survival was more affected when R. solani was alone or combined with M. javanica. Seed coating was considered the effective method in increasing survival plants. The biochemical analysis of treated plants with both biocontrol agents were affected compared to non-treated plants grown in pathogen infested soil. The biochemical parameters i.e. chlorophyll A and B, carotein, phenols and amino acids were enhanced in bioagent treated plants compared to non-treated plants