Sixteen flax genotypes {13 promising lines and 3 check varieties viz., Giza 8 (oil type), Sakha 1 (dual purpose type) and Sakha 3 (fiber type)} were evaluated for straw, seed, oil yields and their related traits under twelve different environments; four locations (Sakha, Etay El-Baroud, Ismailia and Giza Exp. Stations through three successive seasons (2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14). These materials were evaluated in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications at the twelve above-mentioned environments. The analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among genotypes (G), environments (E) and G x E interaction for all studied traits except straw weight per plant, indicating a wide range of variation among genotypes, environments and these genotypes exhibited differential response to environmental conditions. The significant variance due to residual for all characters except both straw weight per plant and oil yield per fad indicated that genotypes differed with respect to their stability suggesting that prediction would be difficult, which means that mean performance alone would not be appropriate. Interaction component of variance (σ2ge) was less than the genotypic variance (σ2g) for all characters, indicating that genotypes differ in their genetic potential for these traits. This was reflected in high heritability and low discrepancy between phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefficients of variability values for these traits indicating the possibility of using each of long fiber percentage, plant height and technical stem length as selection indices for improving straw weight per plant, as well as, using 1000-seed weight and capsules number per plant as selection indices for improving seed weight per plant. Yield stability (YSi) statistic indicated that S.541-C/3 and S.541-D/10 gave high mean performance and stability for straw, fiber, seed and oil yields per fad in addition to oil percentage, capsules number per plant and 1000-seed weight. Therefore, the two genotypes well be released under the name Giza 11 and Giza 12, respectively. These newly released varieties are of dual purpose type for straw, fiber, seed and oil yield. They may replace the low yielding cultivars Giza 8, Sakha 1 and Sakha 3.

Susceptibility of the tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera : Gelechiidae) larvae, pupae and adults to entomopathogenic nematode, Steirnernema carpocapsae and two fungal species; Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae was investigated under laboratory conditions. Applied concentrations against the last instar larvae and different ages of the pupae, using leaf and soil treatments, were 250, 500,1000 IJs/ml for the nematode and 108, 109,1010 spores/ml for the fungi. Soil applications of the nematode and fungi resulted to high mortality (100, 100 and 93.3%) of4thinstar larvae while low pupal mortality (46.7,30and 23.3% ),respectively. In leaf treatment a high level of larval mortality (93.3, 90 and 80%) was recorded revealing S. carpocapsae, B. bassiana and M. anisopliae, respectively. The present study also showed also susceptibility of Tuta absoluta adults to the three pathoens. The results demonstrated suitability of entomopathogenic nematode and fungi for controlling T. absoluta.

Two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Egypt during spring 2013 and 2014 using summer squash (Cucurbita pepo cv. Eskandarani) for studying the effects of PGPR strains. The objective of the first experiment was to study the efficiency of single, double and triple inoculations of Azospirillum brasilense (AC1), Bacillus subtilis (AC2) and Serratia marcescens (BM1) on summer squash fruit characters. Results showed that the double inoculations of tested PGPR strains in addition to single inoculation with Serratia marcescens produced non-significant higher fruit yield and average fruit weight compared to triple inoculation (AC1+AC2+BM1) and single inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense. However, non-inoculated control plants and plants inoculated with Bacillus subtilis showed lower fruit yield and average fruit weight. From the previous results, it concluded that the double inoculation were better than single and triple inoculations. However, the aim of the second experiment was to evaluate the efficiency of PGPR under N and P fertilization levels on plant growth, yield and nutrients uptake of summer squash as well as soil nutrient availability (available N and P). As per main effects, generally, plant growth, fruit yield, nutrients uptake and availability enhanced significantly by increasing N and P levels, except half dose of P which gave statistically equivalent values of plant fresh and dry weight as well as nitrogen uptake in shoots and fruits in addition to P in shoots compared to full dose. Also, main effect of PGPR showed that the inoculated plants gave significantly higher plant growth, fruit yield, nutrient uptake and availability compared to un-inoculated control plants. Inoculated plants with PGPR strains under full dose of N and P gave mostly highest plant growth, fruit yield, nutrients uptake and availability. This effect was at significant level in terms of fruit yield, soil nutrient availability and some nutrients uptake such as K in the shoots and N the fruits. Furthermore, PGPR significantly reduced P fertilizer application without any reduction in squash yield, especially under no and half dose of N fertilizer. Results revealed that the efficiency of PGPR strains increased by P increasing and decreased by N increasing.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of partial substitution (10 and 15%) of wheat flour by sorghum or chickpea flour on quality parameters of sponge cake and biscuit. Chickpea flour contained the highest percentage of protein, lipids, ash and crude fiber. Water absorption was increased by replacement of wheat flour with sorghum or chickpea flour. From the obtained data, it could be seen that the deleterious effect of adding sorghum flour to wheat flour on the rheological properties was more pronounced than that happened when chickpea flour was added. Cake prepared with sorghum flour had less pronounced improvements in its chemical composition rather than those of chickpea. With regard to volume and specific volume, cake prepared with 10% chickpea flour with or without cake improver recorded the highest values. Cake prepared by chickpea flour had no any unfavorable sensory change especially for the cake produced by cake improver.  Crude protein, lipids, ash and crude fiber contents were increased progressively in all biscuit samples with increasing of either the sorghum or chickpea flour levels. Also, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the thickness and spread ratio of control biscuit compared to that of sorghum or chickpea- wheat composite flour.  It is worth mentioning that the substitution of wheat flour with chickpea flour gave biscuit more sensory acceptable.