Dominated by intensive coffee monocultures for the last 30 years, farmers in the Central Highlands of Vietnam has been increasingly experienced with farming difficulties given resource degradation, market and climate uncertainties. In recent years, a number of farmers have diversified their coffee farms toward the forms of agroforestry: through integrating fruit and other crops into coffee farms. This study, by referring to the existing 10 agroforestry systems and 10 forestry ecological zones identified in the region for its approach, conducted in 20 communes throughout five provinces in the region at the coffee harvesting period in the end of 2018. In total, 249 farmers were identified through snowball sampling technique and successfully interviewed. Five major agroforestry systems are identified with sufficient sample size for statistical analyses. By detailed assessment of inputs used and revenue, this study proves that agroforestry systems strongly enhance farmer’s income. However, the success varies among the five studied provinces. Farmer’s technical know-how and their choice on 2nd crop made their agroforestry farming profit largely different. Given the fact that large percentage of land in the tropics is too dry, too steep, or too rocky to be classified as arable land which has been further problematic through increasing exposure to erosion resulting from unsustainable farming practices, often driven by intensive monocultures, efforts to promote agroforestry in Vietnam in particular and the tropics in general is thus needed, not only for surviving increasing population but also recovering and protecting the environment. In the situation of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, together with efforts in promoting agroforestry, a restructure of farming system needs to be considered in accordance with foreseeable difficulties in farming conditions, i.e., more water stress will be happened in certain provinces. These provinces should take a shift more toward less-irrigation dependent crops and reduce their dependence on coffee. These changes will create a better common guarantee for all farmers in coping with future uncertainties.

This study was carried out during the two successive seasons (2017 and 2018) on the first and second ratoon of healthy uniform banana cv. Williams (Musa spp.) Plants grown in sandy soil under drip irrigation system in a private orchard located at El-Tahadi region, Cairo Alexandria desert road, Behaira governorate, Egypt. The investigation aimed to study the effect of different slow release potassium fertilizer (SRKF) (50% K2O) rates (100%, 75% and 50%) were added as soil drench during mid March, mid June and mid September while, potassium sulphate dose used in control treatment was added at monthly intervals as soil application from mid March until mid October on vegetative growth, productivity, total yield income and net return/feddan of banana plants. The obtained results showed that, all treatments had a significant effect on enhancing the vegetative growth parameters, i.e. number of green leaves /plant, plant total assimilation area (m2/plant), leaf total chlorophyll content (CCI) and leaf macro element content (N, P and K) as (%) as well as leaf micro element content (Fe, Zn and Mn) as (ppm). Also, improving yield (ton/feddan), bunch weight (kg), number of hands/bunch, hand weight (kg), number of fingers/hand, finger weight (g), finger length (cm), finger circumference (cm), finger pulp weight (g), finger pulp/peel (ratio), TSS (%), TSS/TA (ratio), total sugars (%). In addition, the total yield income (1000 LE) and net return/feddan (1000 LE) in both seasons. Moreover, all treatments had no significant effect on plant pseudostem height (cm), pseudostem circumferences (cm) and leaf area (m2) of plant in both seasons and bunch length (cm) in the first season only. Treatment of: slow release potassium at 100% gave the highest values of physical and chemical properties of banana plants cv. Williams in both seasons compared to, control treatment (100% potassium sulphate) and slow release potassium at 50% gave the lowest values.

The current study investigated the influence of Water Users Associations (WUAs) in the operation and the maintenance of the facilities of improved areas in Egypt. With the establishment of irrigation improvement projects, it was planned that WUAs would play an important role in improving water management and ensuring the sustainability of the improved system through enhancing the cooperation between farmers, scheduling the irrigation and maintaining the improved Mesqas (distributaries). The current study aims to check the actual situation after the implementation of irrigation improvement projects through collecting data from samples according to design questionnaires in the improved areas, and analyzing the collected data to investigate the influence of these associations. The results showed that the influence of WUAs in Egypt was still very limited. Irrigation practices were close to the old trend, which was targeting by irrigation improvement projects. The improved system was operated based on the natural relationships between farmers, with no predefined irrigation schedule targeting improving water management. The operator was the main person, and his role was just to arrange the irrigation based on the reservation of the farmers. Old lifting points were still used in the new system. This gave the farmers the chance to work individually, which could decrease the direct conflicts between them, but it had negative impact on water use efficiency. The maintenance of the system was poor, and the target was just to make the system work without considering the sustainability of the system. The study discussed the reasons behind the weak influence of WUAs including the characteristics of such organizations and different factors that affect their performance. In addition, the study suggested the required steps to improve the capacities of these organizations and to enhance the coordination between farmers including the precise distribution of water supply, and the support from the government.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic improvement in Zaraibi goats herd raised on El-serw research station located in the north eastern part of Nile Delta, Egypt. The station belongs to Animal Production Research Institute (APRI). Some body weights at different ages were included in genetic and environmental trends. These weights were 4-month weight (4M), 6-month weight (6M), and 12-month weight (12M). Data and pedigree information were collected from 1988 until 2018. The least square means of body weights at 4M, 6M and 12M were 12.14±0.02, 15.49±0.02 and 24.08±0.04 kg, respectively. Year of birth, season, gender of kid, parity of dam and type of birth significantly (P<0.01) affect growth traits. Genetic parameters were estimated using a multi-trait animal model program (MTDFREML). The same previous fixed effects were included in this analysis regarding the animal as random effects. The heritability of the studied body weights tend to increase as age increases. That is inversely matched with the environmental proportion of total variance which was found to be 0.72, 0.66 and 0.62 for M4, M6 and M12, respectively. The heritability value was estimated as 0.28 for 4M. Genetic trends were obtained as the regression of the predicted breeding values on years of birth and Environmental trends were obtained as the regression of year constants on years of birth. The annual genetic change trends were positive and significant for 4M, 6M and 12M (0.091, 0.121 and 0.158 kg/year, respectively) and the annual phenotypic change trends were (0.020, 0.045, 0.117 kg/year, respectively). Genetic trends for M12 trait were higher than those for other traits in this study. Genetic and environment correlations between 4 month body weight and other growth traits were positive. Negative environmental trends indicates poor management system for the flock during studied period. Weight at 12 months of age has the highest heritability in studied body weights and suggested to be selection criteria to improve yearling weight for Zaraibi goat.

Pseudomonas fluorescens is one of plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) members which has a major role in the biological control of bacterial and fungal pathogens. A research was conducted at the Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Qalubyia governorate intended for isolating Pseudomonas fluorescens isolate, efficient in antibiotic production. For isolation, soil samples, collected from Faculty of agriculture farm soil at depth of 10 cm, were screened for Ps. fluorescens isolates by cultivating the samples on King’s medium. Out of 30 isolates obtained, one was selected based on its high lipid content, because of the lipid’s correlation to antibiotic production and inhibitory activity. The selected isolate was characterized by morphological, physiological, biochemical tests then confirmed its identity by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and named Pseudomonas fluorescens NBRC-14160 16srRNA. Morphological features showed that Ps. fluorescens NBRC-14160 has large colonies, with irregular surface, opaque, producing green fluorescent pigments. Cells are short rods, Gram negative. Physiological features indicated that Ps. fluorescens NBRC-14160 is capable of producing several exoenzymes including lipase, phospholipase, protease and chitinase and incapable of producing amylase and cellulase. Carbohydrate fermentation tests were positive for fructose, glucose, D-glucose, and galactose, forming acids after 24 hrs. of incubation at 30˚C. However, it loses the ability to ferment inositol, mannose, xylose, mannitol, raffinose and rhamnose sugars. It’s lipid content was 607 mg/g. Inhibitory activity was studied by the method of disc diffusion test against nine pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive bacterial pathogen towards P. fluorescens NBRC-14160 with a 4.5 cm zone of inhibition, while Serratia marscens had 0.95 cm zone. Aspergillus niger and Alternaria solani were the most sensitive fungal pathogens towards P. fluorescens NBRC-14160 with 2.55 and 2.5 cm of inhibition zone, respectively. However, the most resistant fungus was Fusarium oxysporum with 1.3 cm inhibition zone.

Artificial intelligent provides diverse solutions for the complex problems in agriculture research. The study aimed to use three models of artificial neural networks (Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN), Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) and Radial-Basis Neural Network (RBNN)) in the field of wheat yield prediction. 27-year data for the period (1986-2012) were utilized to improve the models and four-year data (2013 and 2016) were used to estimate the models, to compare their outputs with the measured data. Prediction data was not entered in the process of building neural network models. The results showed that the optimal configuration of the FFNN model consists of 40 neurons in the hidden layer (8-40-1). The Tan Sigmoid activation function was used in both the hidden layer and the output layer using all of these models (anterior neural feeding network and the regression neural network and radial base neural network) in the 4-year wheat yield forecast field for production (2013-2016) by applying 8 input parameters that were result of NMMS (8.6%, 7.6% and 15.7% resp.), To find that FFNN and GRNN provide the best result from BRNN because while the information set was large or in a wide range, then the range data ranges from -1 to +1 (normalization data) , GRNN gives better outcomes after the information or sample data were in large range.

The research aimed to measuring the Efficiency of the Agricultural Economic Resources Used in Summer Tomato Production in Alexandria Governorate, the research is relied on using of some descriptive and quantitative economic analysis methods in data analysis, especially Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, based on field data collected during the 2020 season from 30 summer tomato's farmers in Alexandria Governorate. The research reached a set of results, the most important of which can be reviewed as follows: (1) The overall efficiency criteria for a feddan of summer tomatoes in the research sample are: the net return is about 12.52 thousand pounds, the income over variable costs is about 17 thousand pounds, the benefitcosts ratio is about 1.41, and the profit of the spent pound is about 0.41 pounds. (2) The average Scale Efficiency was about 95.6%, which means that the percentage of exploitation of economic resources used in production in summer tomato farms in the research sample was about 95.6%, indicating that there is a possibility of expansion of 4.4% to reach the optimum volume of production on these farms. (3) The average Technical Efficiency according to the (BCC) model is about 98.4%, and this confirms the possibility of increasing the summer tomato production by 1.6% without increasing the amount of economic resources used. (4) Inefficient farms can achieve complete technical efficiency as reference farms by reducing the economic resources used, which are: the human labor by 7.22%, the automated work hours by 8.36%, the seedlings by 2%, the fertilizer Municipal by 4.62%, nitrogen fertilizer by 4.39%, phosphate fertilizer by 4.96%, potassium fertilizer by 4.93%, and pesticides by 6.81%, while keeping the same volume of production of summer tomatoes research sample. (5) The average Allocative Efficiency of summer tomato farms was about 79.7%, which means that re-employing the used economic resources will save about 20.3% of the production cost through adopting better technology and optimal employment of resources. (6) The average Cost-Efficiency of summer tomato farms in the research sample was about 78.4%, which means that production costs can be reduced by about 21.6% of the current production costs without affecting the production level of summer tomatoes. (7) Achieving the technical efficiency of summer tomato production at the level of Alexandria Governorate the following: (a) Increasing production by 13.07 tons, with a monetary value estimated at 23.59 milliom pounds, (b) providing an area of agricultural land with a horizontal expansion of 586.12 feddans, which is equivalent to the increase achieved In production as a result of raising technical efficiency, (c) rationalizing the use of irrigation water in Alexandria, with a total of about 2.04 million m3 , which is the amount of savings achieved in irrigation water that is necessary for the area of land that has been provided in Alexandria. In light of the findings of the research, it recommends the necessity; (1) Educating summer tomato farmers about the optimal the economic resources used in production to reach the optimum volume of production, (2) Reduce the prices of agricultural production inputs and provide them in a timely manner so that the farmer does not resort to the black market, (3) Issuing advisory bulletins to confront the changing climate and high temperatures in summer tomato cultivation.

The experiments were executed on the autumn and the winter of (2016 /2017, 2017/2018) seasons at Qalyub area, EL-Qalyubia governorate, Egypt. The main objective for this study to find out the efficacy of several biological and the chemical controls on growth and productivity of lettuce crop and management on white rot disease caused on Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Thus, four treatments were applied as follow 1- the control (water application),2- Trichoderma asperellum, 3-Salicylic acid and 4- Calcium Chloride, which were evaluated and compared for the three fungicide as follow : 1- Iprodione , 2- Tebuconazole with Fluopyram and 3-Tebuconazole at the doses (85 & 100 ; 200 &100 and 50 &100 g or ml / 100L-1 respect.) . Which they tested for their ability for increasing the lettuce crop productivity and suppress mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum pathogen by treatments were sprayed on two times on plants at (15-19 BBCH) stages by using backpack sprayer by 250 L./Fed.). Results indicated that, Iprodione applications significantly gave the highest indications of total and the Marketable yield in compared with the other experimental treatments for both seasons. Moreover, the two times of sprayes by Iprodione and Salicylic acid treatments had significantly lowered the disease incidence and disease severity and increasing the control efficiency in the both seasons. Whereas, the other treatments, Tebuconazole with Fluopyram or Tebuconazole and Trichoderma asperellum had a moderate effecacy on the lettuce crop productivety or the disease severity and incidence of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in compared to the control treatment. In the contrast, application by Calcium Chloride had a low effect on the average yield or final yield as a mass and marketable plant in the both seasons and had insignificant effect on the disease severity or incidence of S. sclerotiorum despite low to medium recovery following applications. Finally, the control treatment was the lowest.

Environmental heat stress is one of the most challenging conditions in the world which have adverse impact on the industry of poultry. Broiler chicken strains are delicate to heat stress primarily due to not having sweat glands. The current study was aimed to investigate the effects of heat stress exposed on growth performance and Bio-physiological characteristics for (Cobb, Hubbard and Arbor Acres broiler hybrids) under the summer season when environmental conditions of Egypt were revealed. A total of three hundred one day old (one hundred birds from each hybrid) at one day of age were brooding under the same conditions of water, diet consumed, breeding system, vaccines and medications used during the period birds life even slaughtering age. The three strains were randomly divided into twelve groups (three strains "Cobb, Hubbard and Arbor Acres" X two treatments "control group and heat exposed group" X two replicates X twenty five chicks).The degrees of environmental temperature and relative humidity during housing are (Environmental temperature = 32°±2 Celsius degree, Relative humidity =50±5 percentage) for control group and (Environmental temperature =40°±2 Celsius degree, Relative humidity= 20±5 percentage) for the heat stressed group. The body weight, body weight gain, edible parts of carcass (carcass, thigh, drum, breast muscles and giblets weight) and inedible parts of carcass (blood, feathers, head and legs weight) were recorded to heat stressed group and control group. Lymphatic organs such as spleen, thymus and bursa weight were measured also. The last results concluded that the Cobb strain showed the best growth performance and carcass characteristics under heat stress condition, while the Arbor Acres strain considered the best strain which didn't effected a lot in their rectal temperature such another strains with heat exposure. The Arbor Acres strain for each group (control and treated) have the highest viability. The control group and Hubbard strain showed an increase in bursa weight compared to heat exposed group and another strains. It was concluded that the Cobb strain has the best performance under heat stress comparing to the other strains broiler chicken.

Because water scarcity anticipated to increase within the destiny in particular with growing global population and the rise in prosperity problem of the shortage of water suitable for cultivation of meals plants inside the global is growing in arid and semi-arid regions. There is the call to discover some other plant resource that doesn’t need freshwater i.e. able to grow using seawater. It is worth to note that Salicornia sp. and Sarcocornia sp. may be grown at the seawater. Currently, considered one of the most crucial issues dealing with Egypt is a way to provide food within the frame of limiting to be had soils for cultivation, limitation of water resources, especially after Ethiopian Nahda Dam and growing in population. Accordingly, the use of halophytes forage plants (Salicornia and Sarcocornia) using seawater has emerged as one in all the most exciting and intelligent research points. Therefore, a case observe was carried out in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the nutritional status of Salicornia and Sarcocornia plants which can be grown on salty water in the North Coast of Egypt. Five samples of Salicornia and Sarcocornia amassed from Damietta Port Said coastal road and identified depends on phenotypic homes to Sarcocornia perennis (DA), Sarcocornia perennis (PS), Sarcocornia fruticosa, Salicornia europaea and Salicornia herbacea. Proximate composition analyses were carried out. It turned into obtrusive that, among dry biomass, carbohydrate has become in the most important proximate compositions in the Sarcocornia sp. and Salicornia sp. Tissues observed through ash. Molecular evaluation by SCoT techniques turned into done for Salicornia and Sarcocornia. The SCoT molecular marker techniques reach producing reproducible and dependable amplicons. Even though that the SCoT technique became higher in assessment for molecular variety and discrimination ability for all studied Salicornia and Sarcocornia.The results obtained have shown that the high nutritional value of the plant in terms of protein content, carbohydrates content and as a result, it is suitable for food