Bacterial canker caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Smith) and bacterial spot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Doidge) Dye have become important diseases of tomato in Egypt. The present work was planned to evaluate the reaction of different tomato cultivars and the role of seeds to transmit both pathogens. Cultivars of Dora, Flora-Dade, KTM141, Money Maker, Niagra, Super strain B hybrid and GS12 were moderately resistant to both diseases, but Castle rock, Peto 86 and Super strain B cultivars were susceptible. However, Castle rock, Peto 86, Super strain B and Niagra cultivars were highly susceptible for bacterial canker than spot disease. Using the Liquid assay method, C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis bacterium could be detected in seeds of cultivars Dora, KTM141, Niagra and Super strain B hybrid, but X. campestris pv. vesicatoria was detected on seeds of cultivars GS12, Peto 86 and Super Marmand. However, both bacterial pathogens were not detected in seeds of all cultivars, except GS12, when direct planting method on selective media was used. In an in vivo assay, bacterial canker has developed more than bacterial spot disease on tomato seedlings produced from non-treated seeds. Bacterial canker has developed on all tested cultivars at different frequencies. Transmission of both pathogens occurred at high frequency by seeds of cultivars Niagra and Dora, however bacterial spot was not borne on samples of other tomato cultivars

Two field experiments were conducted during the summer season of 2003 and 2004 to study the effect of organic and bio-organic fertilizers [esterna biofert, compost, biocompost and effective microorganisms (Em)] on vegetative growth, yield and physical and chemical components in tubers of local and fuseau Jerusalem artichoke cultivars. Results indicated that Em, biocompost and biofert significantly increased plant height, number of main and lateral shoots and dry weight as well as the concentrations of Chl (a+b), carotenoids and total carbohydrates in the leaves. Moreover, dry matter, inulin, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of tubers showed a significant increases. The highest vegetative growth and tuber yield were obtained when Em, biocompost and biofert were applied. The respective increase in lateral shoots, Chl (a + b), carotenoids, average tuber weight and size were higher in local cultivar. Whereas fuseau cultivar tubers showed greater dry matter than those of local variety. The application of Em, biocompost and biofert fertilizers in both local and fuseau cultivar gave the relatively higher yield with good quality.

Sage leaves were successively extracted with water, chloroform: methanol (2:1, v/v), n- hexane, benzene, diethyl ether, chloroform, chloroform:  methanol (8:2, v/v) and dichloromethan. Antioxidant activities were detected using two methods :1. The carotene spray method and 2.Measuring the coupled oxidation of β–carotene and linoleic acid. Generally, all extracts had antioxidant activities when tested by the first method. By means of the second method, the extracts of water, diethyl ether and chloroform : methanol( 8:2, v/v ) showed the greatest antixidant activities , followed by the extracts of organic and aqueous phases ( which were extracted with chloroform: methanol, 2:1, v/v), dichloromethan and chloroform, while the n- hexane and benzene extracts showed low activities.

The present investigation was carried out during two successive seasons of 2002 and 2003 on Canino Apricot trees budded on seedlings rootstock at a private orchard located at El-Khatatba district, Menofia Governorate Egypt. Trees were sprayed at full-bloom stage with boron, GA3 and active dry yeast at different concentration alone or in their combinations. Results showed that spraying Boron, GA3 and active dry yeast either singly or in combination caused a remarked promotion in leaf min-eral status, yield and fruit quality compared with control treatment Combined appli-cation solution of 400ppm Boric acid, 40ppm GA3 and 2% active dry yeast at full bloom stage gave the best results with regard to the yield and fruit quality of Canino Apricot.

Numerical analysis of 62 morphological and histological characters extracted from the 2 previous papers (Ahmed and Mohamed, 2005, a & b) of the 7 studied taxa in the genus Tribulus led to their classification into two groups. The 1st contains 5 pentacyclic flowered taxa (T.terrestris, T. terrestris var. bicornutus, T.macropterus, T.megistopterus & T.mollis) with 2 basal vascular bundles in their small leaflets while the 2nd included 2 tetracyclic flowered taxa (T.kaiseri, T.pentandrus) with single main bundle. The resulted analysis arranged taxa of gp.I into 2 sections while that of gp.II into a third section. Tribulus besides possessing its own generic characters, also shares the Zygophylloid genera in major grounds. Therefore it is recommended to remain in tribe Tribuleae of Zygophylloideae within Zygophyllaceae and never isolated either into a family or even subfamily of its own.

Quality of fried beef steaks coated with sodium alginate, carrageenan and car-boxy methyl cellulose (CMC) at concentrations 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9% as well as oils used for frying were evaluated after several frying times (1, 3, 5 and 7 times). Weight loss, shrinkage, moisture loss and final lipid content of control sample were sharply increased after the first time of frying compared to other treatments. The lower reduction in weight loss was achieved in fried beef steaks coated with CMC at concentration of 0.9%. Samples coated with 0.9% carrageenan caused a considerable decrease especially in shrinkage and moisture loss followed by samples coated with CMC and then those coated by sodium alginate at different concentrations. The same treatment (0.9% CMC) showed the lower value of final lipid content. There were significant (p<0.01) decremental patterns in all of sensory attributes (appear-ance, flavor, color, juiciness, mouth feel, texture and overall acceptability) of fried beef steaks during subsequent frying times for all treatments. Less rates of these de-terioration were appeared in CMC samples with different concentrations followed by samples coated with 0.3% and 0.6% of sodium alginate. Progressive rise in acid value of frying oils was especially found in control sample during different frying times, on the other hand the low rate of increase was appeared in sample coated with 0.3% and 0.6% sodium alginate. The higher values of K232 appeared in control sam-ple followed by 0.9% CMC but lower value recorded by oil used for frying beef steaks coated with 0.3% and 0.6% of sodium alginate after 5 times of frying. The same behavior was appeared in K270 determination except there was decrement pat-tern in this criteria by increasing frying times especially from 5 to 7 times of frying in control and coated samples with 0.3% and 0.6% of carrageenan. The highest val-ue of refractive index of fried oil was in control sample followed by coated sample with 0.9% sodium alginate after 7 times of frying. However, the lower value was in coated sample with 0.6% carrageenan under the same conditions. It is cleared to know that, the viscosity of oil which used for frying control sample was lower than that of other treatments during various frying times. Data revealed that the color in-dex (oil deterioration) increase as the concentration of different edible coatings of beef steaks and number of frying increased.

Identification of specific physiological differences among maize genotypes (six inbred lines, four single crosses and four three-way crosses) to drought would be useful to plant breeders for improving selection criteria. Two field experiments were conducted in optimum and stress moisture conditions at Gemmeiza Agricultural Re-search Station in 2001 and 2003 growing seasons. The treatments were 14 geno-types, (six inbreds and eight hybrids), which were separately established under three irrigation treatments in split plot design with four replications. The genotypes were compared under water-deficit conditions on the basis of certain rapid techniques to determine leaf area index (LAI), photosynthetic efficiency (photo), canopy tempera-ture depression (CTD), stomatal conductance (SC) and chlorophyll (CHL) content which were deleteriously affected by water stress in the sensitive genotypes. Results revealed that values of LAI, photosynthetic efficiency, canopy temperature depres-sion, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content of maize hybrids surpassed those of inbred lines. This was true at 30, 45 and 60 days after planting (DAP). Dif-ferences among maize hybrids and among inbred lines were significant at different growth stages for the same studied traits, except of the LAI for the inbreds, at 30 DAP and CTD for the hybrids at 30 as well as 60 DAP. Detecting certain physio-logical criteria, i.e. LAI, photosynthetic efficiency (photo), canopy temperature de-pression (CTD), stomatal conductance (SC) and chlorophyll content (Chl) could be used as reliable techniques to explore the physiological activity of maize genotypes at early stages of growth and may be recommended in screening different genotypes in maize breeding programs.

Solid-phase extraction (SPE), gas chromatography electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and gas chromatography nitrogen-phosphorous detector (GC-NPD) and gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) were applied for trace-level de-termination of 20 pesticides in river nile water. Samples were collected from March to October 2003 from different sites located in Greater Cairo, Egypt. First, extrac-tion by on-site solid-phase extraction of 1 liter from field and laboratory spiked and unspiked (raw river water) samples using poly-divinyl benzene-N-vinyl pyrolidine cartridge based sorbent. Next, water extracts were subject of analysis by GC-ECD and GC-NPD. Next, selected samples that were positive to GC-ECD or GC-NPD were analyzed by GC-MS in order to improve the determination of detected pesti-cides. Recoveries from laboratoy spiked samples were > 85% for 16 of the 20 com-pounds with % relative standard deviation (% RSD) in the 5 to 10 % range. The lowest recoveries were for aldrin, 52 % and prothiofos, 48 %. A similar trend was observed with p,p-DDE and p,p-DDT values. Field spike results also indicated high % recovery for most of the target compounds. Values were > 85% for 12 of the 20 analytes, as was the case in laboratory spikes, Aldrin, 54 % and prothiofos, 55 % yielded the lowest values. Overall field spike recovery reproducibility was lower since % RSDs were higher, 15-40 %. Overall results indicated a relatively high de-gree of accuracy and precision could be achieved for most of the target compounds by methods applied in present study.