Canino apricot trees received four sprays of magnesium sulphate at 0.5%, 1.0% and 3.0%, boric acid at 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0%, ascorbic acid at 250, 500 and 1000 ppm, Vitamin B complex at 100, 200 and 400 ppm and a combination of the medium concentrations of each substrate were evaluated during 2004 and 2005 seasons. Single or combined application of magnesium, boron, ascorbic acid or vitamin B complex was favourable for improving leaf area, leaf mineral content (N, P, K and Mg), yield as well as physical and chemical properties of the fruits compared to untreated trees. The promotion effect was associated with increasing the applied concentrations. Using magnesium, born, ascorbic acid and vitamin B complex, in descending order was very effective in improving growth, nutritional status, fruit quantity and quality. Carrying out four sprays at starting growth, after blooming, after fruit setting and at three weeks later with a combination of 1.0% magnesium sulphate, 0.5% boric acid, 500ppm ascorbic acid and 200 p.p.m vitamin B complex suggested to be beneficial in improving growth, nutritional status, yield and fruit quality of “Canino” apricot.

Proline’s content was estimated in different organs of durum wheat; dry wheat seeds (caryopsis), seeds during germination, second and third leave’s level in different degrees of water alimentation: 75%, 50.0, 42.5, 35.0, 25.0 and 12.5% of the field capacity. Four genotypes of durum wheat Triticum durum DESF were studied from three different origins; Algeria, France and Mexico. Results showed that proline’s content was low in dry wheat and in seeds during germination, and increased by decrease of water supplies. This amino acid estimation during experimentation, allowed us to classify the studied genotypes into 3 main groups: - Genotypes with high proline accumulation (Mexicali). - Genotypes with low proline accumulation (Clairdoc). - Two intermediate genotypes MBB and OZ. These differences among genotypes can be exploited in parietal selection with relation towater deficit.

Four different date palm male types were chosen to evaluate which male could be recommended to use as a pollinator for Barhi date palm cv. grown in Egypt. Three male types namely Ghanamy, Fard and Boyr were grown in the Fruit Trees Experimental Station at Dibba, Fojaira, UAE, and the fourth male was an individual Sewy satellite seedling grown in Egypt. Number of spathe/palm; spathe weight, length, & width ; pollen grains weight / spathe ; average of strand length as well as pollen grains germination % were determined for each male date palm tree from each male type . Moreover, pollen grains from each male type were used as a pollinator to evaluate their effect on fruit set and fruit quality of Barhi date palm cv. This study was carried out during both 2004&2005 seasons. Data showed that both Ghanamy and Fard male type were superior in their morphological characters as compared with Boyr or Sewy satellite seedling male type. Boyr male type showed the lowest values of morphological characters. On the other hand, there were no great differences in pollen grains germination percentage. Moreover, the results clearly indicated that Ghanamy pollen recorded the highest significant fruit set percentage and bunch weight (Kg) in both seasons of study. While, Fard pollen produced the highest fruit weight (g), length, diameter, flesh weight& thickness and flesh %. Boyr and Sewy pollen showed the highest ratio of fruit length / diameter in both seasons. Data also revealed that dates that were picked from bunches pollinated with Fard pollen had the highest total soluble salts (T.S.S) value and the lowest tannins content.

The effect of both beekeeping processes (compressed bees Cb and traditional beekeeping Tb) and food diets (vitamins mixed with pollen grains, pollen grains only and plain sugar syrup) on the colony build up were studied during February – April, 2004, at the apiary belonging to Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University. Feeding colonies with supplementary vitamins plus pollen grains resulted after four brood cycles significantly high daily rates of rearing brood (523 and 434 brood cells for Cb and Tb, respectively) and drawing combs (4.31 and 1.61 combs for Cb and Tb, respectively) compared to either unique pollen grains (432 and 338 brood cells and 3.2 and 1.19 combs for Cb and Tb, respectively) or plain sugar syrup (313 and 219 brood cells and 2.1 and 0.79 combs for Cb and Tb, respectively). On the other hand, the worker’s longevity recorded vice versa which were 21.2  26.2, 23.8 days for colonies fed on vitamins plus pollen grains, pollen grains and sugar syrup, respectively. The colonies which fed on vitamins plus pollen grains, pollen grains and plain sugar syrup, their workers were hoarded 236, 220 and 191 mg of sugar syrup / 3 days, respectively.

Biological studies on the Hawaiian beet webworm, Hymenia recurvalis were carried out under laboratory conditions of 18.6 ± 2°C and 70 ± 5% R. H. The incubation period ranged between 5 and 7 days with a mean of 6.0 ± 0.3 days. The mean durations of larval, prepupal and pupal stages were 26.29 ± 0.3, 5.04 ± 0.08 and 16.86 ± 0.18 days, respectively. Mean adult longevities were 28.42 ± 1.80 and 26.08 ± 1.83 days, ranging between 19-41 and 15-37 days for female and male, respectively. The sex ratio was about 1 : 1.3 (♀ : ♂ ). Accumulative thermal units needed for certain biological features of H. recuurvalis were calculated and the estimated thermal thresholds were 10.97, 12.14, 10.49 and 13.55°C for egg, larval, pre – pupal and pupal stages, respectively. The corresponding values for the thermal units needed for development of these stages were 51.49, 168.47, 47.88 and 102.59 day degree at 25°C for the respective stages.

Two field experiments were performed at Sids Agriculture Farm Research Station, Bani Swif Governorate during 2003 and 2004 seasons, to study the suitability of different tillage treatments, i.e. chisel plough two and three passes at 10, 15 and 20cm depths and intercropping patterns of maize and soybean i.e. two ridges of maize : two ridges of soybean (2:2) and two ridges of maize : four ridges of soybean (2:4) on water consumption, growth characters, yield and quality of maize (cv. T.W.C. 310) intercropped with soybean (cv. Clark). The results indicated that using chisel plough 3 passes decreased the value of mean weight diameter (M.W.D) by 33.00%, 27.92% and 31.87% as compared when using chisel plough 2 passes for 10, 15 and 20cm depths respectively. On other hand, yield and quality of maize, as well as, yield and quality of soybean were significantly increased by using tillage with chisel plough 3 passes. Both yield of maize and soybean per feddan. in pure stand were always higher than those within any intercrop combination, these results were true in both seasons. The data also revealed that maize yield in (2:2) pattern and using chisel plough 3 passes at 15cm depth gave the highest yield whereas, the highest yield of soybean per feddan was obtained when soybean plants grown in (2:4) pattern with 3 passes of chisel plough at15cm depth. On other hand the highest values of water use efficiency (W.U.E) in the two seasons were recorded when (2:4) pattern was applied and using chisel plough 3 passes at15cm depth The highest values of land equivalent ratio (LER) in the two seasons were 1.54 and 1.53 respectively   when (2:4 ) pattern was applied.

Eight most currently used antibiotics were examined for their antibacterial properties against Gram-ve bacteria as Pseudomonas aeuroginosa, E. coli, Proteus vulgari and Gram+ve as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia. Nitrofurantoin was the most effective against the tested bacteria, the inhibition zones ranged between 16-20mm and the MIC between 65-85ug/ml followed by ampicillin (11-18mm), ciprofloxacin (9-12mm) and gentamicin (6-9mm). The erythromycin was the lowest effective against the tested bacteria. Also, seven volatile oils were applied by contact and fumigation methods to study their effect on the tested bacterial strains. The fumigation method gave the highest inhibitory effect more than contact method and the thyme oil gave maximum inhibitory action (inhibition zone 20-28mm) against all the tested bacteria, and the MIC ranged between 0.1-0.15mg/ml followed by marjoram oil (19-25mm) and the MIC between 0.1-0.2mg/ml, cinnamon oil (12-16mm) and the MIC between 0.2-0.3mg/ml. Anise and chamomile oils did not gave any response against all the tested bacteria. The combination between thyme and other tested oils gave a synergistic effect for inhibitory action against all the tested bacteria, if compared with thyme oil alone. The combination between thyme and marjoram oil gave the maximum inhibition zones (20-29mm), followed by thyme with cinnamon oil (20-27mm), thyme with geranium gave (18-27mm), thyme with peppermint (17-27mm), thyme with chamomile (16-27mm) and thyme with anise oil (15-26mm). The combination of thyme oil with different tested antibiotics gave the lowest inhibitory effect than combination between thyme and other volatile oils against all the tested bacteria. The protein and DNA content of treated bacteria with thyme oil were increased by 38.46-47.37% and 34.26-46.94% respectivily, if compared by non-treated bacteria

Black cumin is one of the important medicinal plant and well known to flok remedy. Balady, Sori and Turki cultivars belong to black cumin are variated in chemical composition and antiviral activity. The results reflected significant heritability between the three cultivars in length and number of capsule per plant and number of branches per plant, while non-significant values of plant height, number of locules capsule, and seed yield per plant. Eight fatty acids methyl esters were detected in seeds of three cultivars by GLC. It was found change quantitatively of fatty acid between three cultivars. SDS-PAGA showed change qualitatively of poly peptides content accompanying three cultivars. A similarity of about 90% was found between Balady and Sori cultivars in relation to heritability. Water seed extracts, in vitro reduced ToMV infectivity to 6.73; 6.78 and 5.08% of Balady, Sori and Turki respectively. Four hours post and pre ToMV inoculation were most sensitive period to ToMV replication for three cultivars. On the other hand, the antiviral event changed in conformation and chemical structure of virion, coat protein and nucleic acid of ToMV with black cumin seed extract by spectroscopy. Balady, Sori and Turki; black cumin  cultivars were varieted based on heritiability, chemical composition according to fatty acid GLC and polypeptide fraction SDS-PAGE analysis as well as antiviral activities against tomato mosaic tobamovirus.

Plant growth and root nodules of infected Faba bean plants with broad bean mottle virus were significantly reduced in plant height, leaf area, dry matter, number and size of nodules in comparison with healthy ones. As well Leghaemoglobin content and Nitrogenase activity were reduced in infected nodules at 45 days after BBMV inoculation. The amount of N2-fixed as expressed by acetylene reduction was reduced considerably by 38.8%. Nitrogen content as an indicator for the efficiency of N2-fixation was reduced in shoots, roots and root nodules of infected nodulated plants as compared with healthy nodulated ones. Differences between bacteroids in healthy and in BBMV infected cells were no longer apparent. These differences include: (i) a decrease in endocytotic and exocytotic vesiculation on the membrane envelope of the bacteriods and on plasma membrane of bacteroidal cells, (ii) a decrease in number of vesicles in the space between the bacteriod and the membrane envelope. The possible significance of these changes relative to the decreased efficiency of N2-fixation was discussed.

The study aimed at identifying both knowledge and skill levels of farmers in regard of technical recommendations of rationalizing irrigation water use and its various management systems, determine the deficit in their knowledge and skills degree in that regard as a step to propose an extension program that hope to remedy this gap. The study was conducted in Al-Wady Al-Gadid governorate on beneficiaries of “Darb Al-Arbe’en” project, with a random sample of 160 represent about 25% of total beneficiaries (640). Data were collected through a personal interview questionnaire during (August-September) 2005, and the following statistics were used: frequencies, percentages, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficients, F test and multiple regression analysis (Stepwise).