Information related to pesticide practices in green beans and strawberry fields in some selected exportation farms in Egypt was obtained through questionnaire forms. Such forms were randomly distributed among different target exporters at Giza, Ismaellia, Sharkia, Behirah and Alfayoum governorates. Questionnaire outputs indicated that the percent of the rejected export by importers due to high levels of pesticide residues reached 11.11 and 7.69% in green beans and strawberry respectively. The recommended rates of the used pesticides established by the Ministry of Agriculture and/or EU guidelines were followed by 86.67 and 69.23% of these vegetables growers, respectively. Questionnaire outputs indicated that the percent of exporters who were repeating the application of all or each pesticide during the same season of green beans and strawberry reached 48.89 and 42.31%, respectively. Furthermore, 15.56 and 7.69% of growers followed the recommended Pre Harvest interval (PHI) for each pesticide used in green beans and strawberry. On the other hand, no storage period was followed by 40 and 76.92% of the exporters for green beans and strawberry, respectively. Concerning the transportation conditions data showed that 55.56 and 88.46% of the exporters used cooling trucks with green beans and strawberry, respectively.

Theimmediate and long term evaluating trails based on efficacy of soil solarization process and the pesticide Dazomit (98%) was worked out to control theroot-knot nematode on cucumber. The temperature rised significantly (4.0, 12.2, 13.3, 20.9)C° at the soil depths of (5,10,15,20) cm, respectively; when soil was covered with transparet plastic in July compared to nonsolarized soil (control). The results showed insignificant differences for the treatments combinations of soil solarization and the differences rates of Dazomit (98%) and the soil solarization alone in its ability in reducing numbers of theroot-knot nematode after one month of soil solarization and the treating with Dazomit (98%) reaching an efficacy ranged between 94-100% at the soil depth of 0-30cm. The results also indicated superior significancy of these treatments in preventing reforming the disease- causing aggregates of these nematode during the second season, with growth rates ranged between (2-5.8)% compared to(45-48.9)% at the end of first season, and the incidence was reduced with rates (96-98) % and the severity of infection rate (73-87)% at the end of season compared to (100)% in control treatment and indicated a high economic return (405%) for the solarization treatment alone compared to 5,18 and 83% in the three treatment combinations, respectively.

Roasting process of carob pods at various temperatures for different times was carried out to study the effect of its process on the chemical constituents, minerals content, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. Volatile compounds were also determined for roasted carob powders. The obtained results revealed that the protein content was 5.42% (on dry weight basis), which decreased with increasing the processing temperatures. Whereas, ash increased gradually by increasing the roasted temperatures but lipids was decreased. The predominant mineral in carob powders was calcium followed by sodium, potassium and magnesium, respectively whereas; the raw carob pods contain 21.07mg/g of total phenolic compounds. Roasting treatment caused to the degradation of phenolic compounds which increased with increasing the roasting temperatures. The antioxidant activity of the carob powders was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) as free radical scavenging. However, the activity of antioxidant was decreased owing to the roasting process. On the other hand, sensory characteristics for both hot drinks and prepared cakes showed greater preference, especially for samples contained roasted carob powders at 160˚C for 30 min. and/or 40min. compared with that in tested samples and control. Seven aroma compounds were positively identified by using GC–mass spectrometry. The major aroma compounds of carob powders were 3-methyl butanal and methyl propanal which was found in chocolate and it's responsible for chocolate flavor. Moreover, other volatile compounds were identified in roasted carob powders and which also found in dark chocolate such as 2-Heptanone, Pentan-2-ol and Linalool. Also, Nonane-2-one and Hexanal were found and identified in roasted carob powders.

The seeds of six different species of common pulses were examined as hosts of  two bruchid beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) and C. chinensis L. under controlled conditions of  30±2ºC  and 65±5% R.H. Deposited eggs, Hatched eggs, numbers and weights of emerged adults and also the total developmental period from the deposited eggs to adults emergence were estimated. Results obtained indicated thatcowpea seeds were the most favorable for feeding the two tested bruchid beetles, followed by faba bean seeds, while insect infestation was not observed on common bean and soybean seeds for either bruchid species.Results also revealedthat C.maculatus deposited more eggs on all tested leguminous seeds and gave more emerged adults with heavier weights than C. chinensis.

The current work aims to evaluate the effect of different periods of organic farming on some soils qualities compared with the traditional system. Several farms varied in their soil nature and periods of practicing organic farming system were chosen. The farms are located in Belbes, El-Manayef, El-Fayoum and El- Behera areas. Moreover, the study also involved adjacent traditional managed farms. The evaluation was based on the weighted values of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the 0-50 cm and 0-100 cm soil depths. The considered soil properties weresoil organic matter (SOM); bulk density; porosity; available water; penetration resistance, mean soil particles weight diameter (MWD), cation exchange capacity and total microbial count. The obtained results indicated that soilbiological parameters were less important than the physical or thechemical factors. Principle component1, (PC1) scores indicated that 79.97% and 78.05 % of total variance are attributed to the 0-50 cm soil depth of the organic and conventional managed soils, respectively. In the meantime, 75.72 and 71.94 % are related to the 0-100 cm soil depth for the two farming systems, (Organic and conventional) in the same sequence. The only significantfactor contributing to PC2 was total count; PC2 indicatedthat (10.29 and 10.87% of the totalvariance are accounted for 0-50 and 0-100 cm soil depth of organic farming as well as 15.3 and 16.68% of the totalvariance for 0-50 and 0-100 cm soil depth of conventional farming system, respectively.

Petroleum products are complex mixtures of hundreds of hydrocarbon compounds. Petroleum has been recognized as a potential environmental contaminant. This research was undertaken to evaluate the effect of petroleum hydrocarbon on soil characteristics and seeds germination in arid lands. Results indicated that bulk density and real density of the polluted samples are relatively higher and lower respectively then the corresponding values of the unpolluted soils. Percent ages of the clay fraction obtained with and without removing the cementing agents showed high and low values for % clay fraction respectively. Low calcium carbonate content was found in the polluted samples as a result of solubilization effects of the petroleum products on calcium carbonate particles. ECe values were very high in the polluted samples (ECe = 28.6 - 82.5 dS/m) and very low in the unpolluted samples (ECe = 2.75 - 2.79 dS/m). Soluble calcium and sulphat ions were the dominant ions in the saturation extract of unpolluted soil samples. Organic matter contents were high (4.94%) in the polluted soil and Low in the unpolluted soil (0.54%). Soil polluted with hydrocarbon was very high (7.13-7.5%) in the unpolluted soil and very low (0.63-0.71%) in the polluted soil. Total elemental contents shows that the most important metals with regard to potential hazards in the contaminated soils, are Cr, Pb, and Ni. Other heavy metals indicated low to medium concentration either in petroleum polluted or the non polluted soils. The concentration of toxic elements in the tested soils could be derived from petroleum pollution and/or from it's chemical weathering particularly under the relatively low pH of the polluted soils. Results indicated no barley seed emergence after 14 days in the polluted soil even after several leaching to alleviate the high level of salt concentrations in the polluted soil. The data reflect the serious effects of petroleum products on the deterioration of soil characteristics which reflected on the emergence of barley seeds.

This work was conducted at the Experimental Farm of Nasser's   Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in Lahej Governorate, Yemen, during three   seasons 2003, 2004 and 2005. Five statistical procedures of relating yield components to yield; i.e., simple correlation coefficient, the path coefficient analysis, the stepwise regression, the multiple regressions and factor analysis were applied to seven yield contributing characters to determine their functional relationships to yield. Sixteen Maize genotypes were used in this study. Simple correlation coefficient revealed that, number of leaves/plant, ear height, ear length, number of rows/ear, number of kernels/row, 1000-kernel weight and shelling% had the greatest influence on grain yield/h. According to path analysis, weight of 1000-kernel had the greatest direct effect (22.23%) towards grain yield/h. While, number of kernels/row (9.33%) and ear length (9.32%) had the highest indirect effect to grain yield. Multiple linear regressions indicated that the variables which had the highest partial coefficient of determination in seed yield/h, were ear height, ear length, number of rows/ear and 1000-kernel weight (R2 = 43%, 22%, 9% and 12%, respectively). The stepwise regression shows that, 1000-kernel weight, number of kernels/row, number of rows/ear and shelling% were accepted variables which had the highest coefficients of determination with seed yield (88.9%). The factor analysis grouped 7 yield contributing characters in two factors, which altogether were responsible for 70.42% of the total variability in the dependence structure.

The present study was carried out in 2004/ 2005 – 2005/2006 seasons to make survey of plant vegetation at Wadi Wateer  (East southern of Sinai) (a bout 100 km length) at 9 successive sites. The study was carried through two years (two wet and dry seasons) to evaluate the vegetation structure throughout 20 chart quadrates (2 m x 2 m) at each site. The results showed that most of the pasture measurements such as plant density (plants / 4 m2), coverage %, frequency %, abundance % and fresh, and dry yields (ton/fad.) reached its maximum values during the wet seasons. Sites 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 were more suitable for growth of the plant associations than other sites under studies. Many plant species such as Astragalus  spinsous, Medicago laciniata, Artemisia Judica, Artemisia monosperma, Legum spartum, Haloxylon salicornicum, Calotropis procera, Lycium shawii and Paronychia sinaica were capable to grow under the aridity conditions at Wadi Wateer  area.

ABSTRACT   The current study was carried out to evaluate certain non-conventional techniques including the use of organic manures, either residues left from soaking cattle and chicken manures applied to the soil or spray of their extracts on the plant biomass; biofertilizers as well as natural resources of rock phosphate were also used, inorganic fertilizers being included for comparison. Such evaluation was thought to be performed through evaluating responses of soil characteristics represented by both chemical characteristics and element availability; responses of developed plants to applied treatments were thought to be not included in the present study. This study was conducted under conditions of greenhouse located in Soils Department, Faculty of Agriculture, AinShamsUniversity; it represents the application of results obtained from the two pot experiments previously conducted. Cucumber seedlings of 15 days old were planted after being inoculated with liquid culture of the used biofertilizers and let to be grown three months up to harvest. The studied soil samples were taken out before flowering stage of grown cucumber plants to evaluate the concerned responses of the indicated soil samples. Results showed that organic manure application practices were favorable compared to either original untreated soil or inorganic control treatments; application of the used biofertilizers added, either separately or in combinations, to manuring was favorable for most of the studied parameters, application of rock phosphate to the mentioned treatments being also favorable.

Newly ecdysed fourth instar larvae of the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) were treated with LC50 of ecdysone agonist methoxyfenozide, to provide better insights into physiological symptoms and aspects induced by it as a mimic to the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-E) action. Larvae ingest methoxyfenozide died within 2-3 days, and being trapped within their excuvae. They stopped feeding shortly before ecdysis. Treatment neither accelerated ecdysis nor ceased feeding, as soon as the larvae ingest such 20-E mimic. The continuous binding of the compound to the ecdysteroid receptors of S. littoralis larvae increased the titre of enzymes regulated by 20-E during the experimental time (3 days). Chitinase and phenoloxidase were activated after 6 and 12 hr from methoxyfenozide administration, respectively. The compound had no effect on chitin production, but endocuticle chitin degradation during moulting might be depressed as illustrated by the presence of higher amount of N-acetylglucosamine in control larvae than methoxyfenozide treated. It is suggested that methoxyfenozide might induces a precocious moult by initiating moulting cycle, but its main toxic effect is due to the fact that its level remains high during moulting and don’t decrease for allowing other hormones necessary for successful moulting to be released.