Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) flies are the dangerous insect pests of fruit, vegetables, and nuts over the world. This study provides the published information on toxicity, biochemical effects and some biological measurements of the peach fly, B. zonata by using some plant extracts (phytochemicals) namely Moringa oleifera oil, lemon peel oil and M. oleifera leaf extract, which would be more informative for publication facilitating related to integrated pest management (IPM) strategies of B. zonata. Effect of different concentrations of M. oleifera oil, lemon peel oil and M. oleifera leaf extract on biochemical effects (total proteins, total carbohydrates and acetylcholine esterase enzyme) and some biological aspects (pupal mortality, pupal duration, adult emergence, emerged deformed adult and malformation score) of the peach fly, B. zonata were studied. Results showed that M. oleifera oil is highly toxic to pupae of the peach fly, B. zonata with LC50 of 2.569, 2.773 and 2.370 ml/L and LC90 of 85.459, 92.171 and 18.314 ml/L in yellow, sandy and clay soils respectively. Whereas lemon peel oil come in the second position in order of toxicity and M. oleifera leaf extract was the least toxic compound. These results cleared that concentrations of total proteins, total carbohydrates and acetylcholine esterase enzyme activity markedly decreased in pupae of B. zonata after exposure to M. oleifera oil, lemon peel oil and M. oleifera leaf extract with highly significant effects compared with control. Obtained results showed that an inhibitory action of M. oleifera oil, lemon peel oil and M.oleifera leaf extract at all each of concentration levels when mixed with three types of soils namely, yellow soil, sandy soil and clay soil compared with untreated . These results suggest that three tested plant extracts has the probably to be used as a natural plant productions to control of the peach fly, B. zonata.

The development of agriculture over the last decades has resulted in a continuous change of the natural vegetation of Egypt. Several species widely cultivated as economic crops or ornamentals. Numbers of species which escaped from cultivation and naturalized in naturals habitats are increasing. It is necessary to study the changes in the natural vegetation and traces the new species. The present study undertakes a survey, taxonomical revision and numerical analysis of the genus Hibiscus L. in Egypt including wild and cultivated species. The taxonomic treatment based on collecting of fresh materials from the studied species, in addition to the investigation of the herbarium specimens as well as information from the literatures. Eleven species of Hibiscus were reported in this study, from which there are 5 wild species (H. diversifolius Jacq., H. micranthus L. f., H. vitifolius L., H. sabdariffa L. and H. trionum L.) and there are 6 cultivated species (H. cannabinus L., H. mutabilis L., H. rosa-sinensis L., H. schizopetalus (Mast.) Hook. f. in Curtis, H. syriacus L. and H. tiliaceus L.). An identification key to the species of Hibiscus is provided. Valid names and synonyms are updated from online sources. Scientific descriptions provided the characters of leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds based on the herbarium specimens and completed from fresh materials and literatures are given. Distribution of wild species in their phytogeographical regions are provided. Type specimen, habitat, selected specimens and economic importance are provided for each species. The numerical analysis based on thirty six morphological characters including vegetative, flowers and fruits parts of the studied species. SPSS Statistics version 22 used to get morphometric analysis. The numerical analysis revealed two main clusters. The first cluster included 3 species, viz. H. micranthus L. f., H. vitifolius L. and H. trionum L. The second cluster included two groups: group (a) viz. H. diversifolius Jacq., H. syriacus L., and H. tiliaceus L., and group (b) viz. Hibiscus cannabinus L., H. mutabilis L., H. rosa-sinensis L., H. sabdariffa L. and H. schizopetalus (Mast.) Hook. f. in Curtis.

Under screen house conditions, two experiments were carried out to evaluate certain bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates regarding reproductive potential of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, infecting tomato or eggplant. Results on tomato revealed that, on the basis of average total percentages nematode reduction, the over topped results were gained with P. fluorescens (Pf2) which recorded the highest significant (P≤0.05) average nematode reduction (61.3%) and higher percentage reduction of females (77%) per plant. The second rank was obtained by Pf3 which reduced all nematode numbers as an average of 56.9%.On the basis of average total percentages plant growth and weight of fruit increases, four bacterial treatments can be ranked in a descending order as follows: Pf9 > Pf4>Pf1and Pf7, as they achieved the highest average total percentages increases of 96.0, 47.3, 38.2and 29.8%, respectively compared to other treatments and untreated check. Regarding to eggplant, the over topped results observed was achieved by P. fluorescens (Pf10) which recorded the highest average total nematode reduction (66.2%) with higher reduction of (J2s) in roots (89.9%) per plant and in soil (78.8%) per pot. The second rank was obtained by Pf9 and Pf2 where they reduced all nematode numbers as averages of 55.9% and 54.9%, respectively. Also Pseudomonas isolates enhanced the plant growth of eggplant, averages were found in a descending order as follows: Pf1 (20.0%), Pf9 (18.7%) and Pf10 (18.3%) . It is worthy to note that the most distinct growth criteria was fresh weight of roots as it achieved higher percentage increase (58.1%) by using Pf9 followed by Pf1 as it caused 40.6% increase compared to untreated check. The highest average percentage of fresh weight of shoot were recorded for Pf10 (26.4%) and Pf8 (22.1%). Whereas for dry weight Pf3 (29.8%) and Pf2 (19.1%). In conclusion, the tested biocontrol agent was efficient in controlling the root-knot nematode on tested plants.

The main objective of this study to identify the current and prospective role of agricultural extension in the field of vegetable cultivation under greenhouse in Al-Noubaria area of Beheira Governorate. Questionnaire through personal interviews was used to collect data from 196 farmers representing research samples. Percentages, arithmetic mean, the frequency tables, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficient (person) and the regression coefficient were used to analyze data. The research results showed that: The most of farmers 81.6% had low and medium level of knowledge related to the main practices of agriculture in Greenhouse 94.9% of farmers had low and medium levels of implementation of the main practices under greenhouse. 74% of farmers were of low and medium awareness of the role of agriculture extension. There is a significant correlation between the knowledge level of the respondents to cultivating vegetables under greenhouses as a dependent variable, and between the educational level, the degree of trend towards export of greenhouse products, the degree of participation in community organizations, the degree of satisfaction with work in greenhouse, the degree of exposure to sources of information on vegetable cultivation under Greenhouse, the degree of openness to the outside world and the role of agricultural extension, respectively as independent variables. There is a significant correlation between the degree of the executive level of the respondents by planting vegetables under greenhouse as a dependent variable and between the educational level of the respondents and the degree of exposure to sources of information on growing vegetables under greenhouse, the trend towards export and the role of agricultural extension provided to the respondents as independent variables. The educational level, the trend towards export, the degree of openness to the outside world, the degree of participation in various societal organizations, the degree of satisfaction with work under greenhouse, the degree of exposure to sources of information on growing vegetables under greenhouse, and the role provided by the agricultural extension to farmers under greenhouse as Variables responsible for the interpretation of 30,2% in the overall variance of the general knowledge level of the respondents cultivating vegetables under greenhouse. The educational level, the trend towards export, the degree of exposure to sources of information about growing vegetables under greenhouse, and the role provided by agricultural extension to vegetable farmers under greenhouse, variables responsible for the interpretation of 26.7% in the overall variation of the executive level of respondents to the practices of growing vegetables under greenhouse. The most important problems faced by farmers investigated in greenhouse cultivation were the high costs of greenhouse construction, the high incidence of fungal diseases, and the difficulty of conducting integrated pest control in greenhouse. The prospective role of the agricultural extension in the field of vegetable cultivation under greenhouse from the viewpoint of the respondents, the presence of adequate and technical support for the agricultural extension in the field of growing vegetables under greenhouse and how to manage greenhouse.

Key Words: Media filter, Treated wastewater, Drip irrigation, Cotton Growth and Yield.INTRODUCTIONAccording to Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWIR), Egypt (2014) Agriculture expends a large amount of the obtainable water in Egypt, with its share exceeding 85% of the total demand for water. Utilizing treated wastewater represents a viable option. The study were carried out at Sarapium Forest, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in “Sarapium”, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, during 2018 and 2019 seasons to investigate the effect of media depth on the performance of different types of emitters for irrgating cotton (verity Giza 94) using treated wastewater. Also this study estimates the effect of using treated wastewater on the cotton growth, quantity and quality. The first experiment design for filtration performance was a split-plot with four replications. The main plots involved two media filtration depths (50 cm and 70 cm) and the sub-plots involved the time of operation (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100h). While the second experiment design for planting cotton was a split-plot with three replications. The main plots involved two plant distribution (Mutual and Opposite) and the sub-plots involved the three types of emitters namely: online 4 l/h compensative, online 4 l/h non-compensative and built- in 4 l/h-30cm non-compensative the distance between emitters were (30 cm).The results indicated that: Increasing media filtration depth from 50 to 70 cm has led to decrease the filtration flowrate with increasing pressure losses, biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and total suspended solids (TSS). The filtration flowrate decreased by increasing operation time from 0 to 100 but pressure losses, BOD5 and TSS was increased. Emitters performance of online compensative and built-in non-compensative were generally better than the online non-compensative under using wastewater quality and emitters performance decrease by increasing operation time from zero to 100 hours. Plants distribution significantly effect on growth and yield components of cotton. Planting cotton by mutual method gave the highest values of number of opened bolls per plant, seed cotton yield (Ken./fed.)

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.