This investigation was performed during the 2018 and 2019 seasons in a private vineyard to study the effect of calcium, magnesium fertigation and molybdenum foliar sprays on the yield and fruit quality of Flame seedless table grape cultivar. The experimental layout was arranged in a split-plot design. All treatments were applied on three dates: after the bud burst stage, at the fruit set stage and veraison stage. The results showed that the combined application of 30 Kg calcium with 20 Kg magnesium fertigation and foliar spraying of 30 ppm molybdenum was the most effective among all treatments in terms of enhancing vegetative growth characteristics, increasing leaf content of total chlorophylls and mineral elements as well as improving yield and fruit quality attributes.

The research aimed to isolate and characterize local entomopathogenic fungi from different agricultural ecosystems and assess their pathogenicity against cowpea aphid. Forty soil samples were collected from different ecosystems. In total, 38 fungal isolates were collected from the cadavers' exteriors of Galleria mellonella larvae. Microscopic observation of these fungal isolates revealed that they belonged to nine fungal genera among them Metarhizium sp. (3 isolates) and Beauveria sp. (5 isolates). Primary experiments showed different bioactivities of the isolates of the two selected genera against the target insect. Only Metarhizium isolates (M3 & M5) and Beauveria isolates (B1 & B5) were selected for further investigations. Identification of fungal cultures by morphological characters, molecular characterization, ITS sequencing, and NCBI Blast showed that two isolates were confirmed as M. anisopliae and two isolates as B. bassiana. The bioassay evaluation revealed that M. anisopliae (M3 and M5) and B. bassiana (B1) exhibited significant virulence against A. craccivora, as evidenced by their high LT50 and LC50 values and substantial sporulation on the cadavers. Therefore, they could be used for the formulation of pesticides targeting this pest on cowpea and other vegetable crops.

Climate change poses a significant challenge to agriculture while barley is an essential and crucial crop worldwide. This study evaluated the drought stress tolerance of 25 barley genotypes. A field experiment was carried out to investigate agronomical traits, such as plant height at 110 days (PH110) and spike length (SL), in response to different surface irrigation treatments. Subsequently, 15 barley genotypes were chosen for the second experiment which aimed to examine the impact of physiological stress generated by polyethylene glycol-6000. Several biological metrics, including seedling vigor index (SVI), and drought tolerance index (DTI), were quantified. Ultimately, six SSR primers were used to analyze the genetic diversity between different barley genotypes. The findings demonstrated that the G1, G2, and G6 genotypes were tolerant but G5, G9, and G14 were susceptible. The primers Bmag0603, EBmac0849, and Bmag770 were polymorphic. This study provides valuable initial insights into the drought resistance of various barley genotypes, highlighting the genetic diversity and potential for breeding drought-tolerant varieties. We suggest expanding the sample size and incorporating a broader range of environmental conditions in future studies to validate these findings. Additionally, the identified genetic markers could be further explored and utilized in breeding programs.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of the foliar application of moringa and germinated fenugreek extracts on the growth and biochemical parameters of wheatgrass grown under saline conditions. Aqueous moringa extract (MLE) was used at concentrations of 1.25, 0.83, 0.62 and 0.31%, whereas fenugreek extract (GFE) was used at concentrations of 0.25, 0.20, 0.15 and 0.10%. Optimum germination conditions were investigated under normal and NaCl stress (2000 ppm) conditions. Exposure to saline stress significantly reduced seed germination and grass yield as well as shoot and seedling fresh and dry weights. Ideal germination conditions were MLE 0.31% and GFE 0.15%, resulting in increased growth traits compared with the other concentrations and control. Foliar application of MLE or GFE improved growth traits, total antioxidants, phenols, Ca, Mg, K, Mn, Cu, Zn and Fe in the presence or absence of NaCl. In addition, wheatgrass powder was used to replace wheat flour in developing biscuits at 5, 10 and 15% levels. Wheatgrass showed high feasibility for formulating nutrient-rich biscuits with acceptable sensory qualities. These findings provide useful information for enhancing the nutrients in biscuits, with potential use as a natural source of bioactive compounds in functional food products.

This study was conducted to determine the impact of sodium chloride (2000 ppm) and salicylic acid (SA) concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 ppm) on the nutritional value and germination of radish microgreens. The experiment was based on a completely random design with three replicates. Results indicated that applying SA at 50 and 100 ppm mitigates the negative effects of salinity, even better than higher concentrations, on the nutritional value and bioactive contents of radish microgreens where SA at 50 ppm lowered the sodium contents from 1.75 to 1.10 ppm in addition to increasing the moisture content. Applying SA at 50 and 100 ppm caused a noticeable increase in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibers and energy under unstressed condition. In addition, SA at 50 ppm caused a significant increase in oxalic and malic acid contents under both normal and salinity conditions while SA at 100 ppm significantly enhanced the levels of total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidants under salinity conditions. This practical study highlights the significant role of salicylic acid, at 50 and 100 ppm, in increasing the levels of phytochemicals and minerals, hence improving the nutritional value of microgreen radishes.

Nano-emulsion-based essential oils are considered the most effective applications for controlling pests. Jojoba oil-based nano-emulsion and bulk emulsion formulations were examined against Tetranychus urticae and Myzus persicae and their natural enemies. The prepared jojoba oil-based nano-emulsion showed superior stability in centrifuging and freezing tests and had non-foaming properties. The droplet size of the Jojoba oil-based nano-emulsion was as small as 45±5 nmwith a zeta potential of 4.79 mV. Results confirmed that jojoba oil-based nano-emulsion possesses better acaricidal and algicidal activity than bulk emulsion. The LC50 of nano-emulsion was 0.103 and 0.06%, while in bulk emulsion, it recorded 4.06 and 4.76% against T. urticae after 24 h of spraying at temperatures of 20 and 30oC, respectively. Under the same conditions, nano-emulsion had an LC50 value of 0.23 and 0.35% while bulk emulsion had 5.14 and 3.61% against M. persicae. Furthermore, the use of jojoba oil-based emulsion had no significant negative impact on aphid mummies or Coccinella undicempunctata. These encouraging findings confirmed that jojoba-based nano-emulsions possess potential eco-friendly and effective bio-pesticides against mites and aphids as well as being safe as biological control agents. Additionally, its physical properties are suitable for commercial use.

The study examines factors affecting sprinkler irrigation system distribution uniformity, including sprinkler type, operating pressure and computer software design. The pressures used were 1.5, 2.1, and 2.5 bar for spray nozzles 4A and 17A, and 1.7, 2, 2.5, and 3 bar for rotor nozzles 1 and 3. The results showed a strong correlation, with (R2) values of 0.996 and 0.973, between SIDUL-Program (Sprinkler Irrigation Distribution Uniformity for Landscape–Program) and Excel program with respect to coefficient of uniformity (CU) and distribution uniformity (DU) respectively, suggesting a strong correlation between the two programs. The HEDIA program validated the SIDUL–Program, revealing a 0.42% difference in CU values between the two programs for rotor nozzle 3, indicating also a strong correlation (R2 = 0.953) between the two programs. The results showed that DU for spray 4A at a pressure of 2.1 bar was 7.4%, higher than DU at a pressure of 1.5 bar; the CU for spray 17A was 11.9% higher, as supported by manufacturer specifications. The study concluded that calculating CU and DU using the SIDUL–Program is critical for assessing sprinkler performance in irrigation systems since it considers factors such as soil type, irrigation 1methods and location; in addition to being easy to use and accurate com-pared to other programs.

Imidacloprid is a systematic neonicotinoid widely used to combat piercing-sucking insects; however, neonicotinoids, despite having low effects on vertebrates, showed high adverse effects on honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). Glutathione-S-transferases (GST) are an important constituent of the defense system in detoxifying invading chemicals. This work examines the effects of imidacloprid on GST activity in vivo and in vitro conditions. Results revealed that there are two responses of GST activity toward IMI treatment; first, stimulation of enzyme activity to combat and detoxify the insecticide. Second, direct inhibition of GST, which is confirmed by the in vitro inhibition with IC50 887.42 ppm. At a short exposure time to IMI (2 hours) at an IMI concentration of 0.35 ppm, the enzyme was stimulated up to 113% while increasing exposure time or IMI concentration, the inhibition effect dominates.

The Red and White pakestanian mulberry cultivars and Baladi mulberry trees were propagated by using medium hardwood cuttings pre-pared in November, December and January, and treated with the growth regulators IBA and NAA (0, 2000, 4000 and 6000 ppm) during 2020 and 2021 seasons. The hardwood cuttings treatment was planted in wooden frames inside the greenhouse in a cultivation medium consisting of peat moss and sand (1:3 v/v respectively). Data showed that Baladi mulberry cultivar gave the highest values of rooting percentage while the White Pakestanian gave the highest values for the number of roots per cutting. Concerning growth regulator treatments, IBA at 6000 gave the highest significant number of roots per cutting followed by NAA at 6000 ppm. In the interaction between the two studied factors, the highest rooting percentage was found by NAA at 6000 ppm for Baladi and White cultivars. While the highest values of root number and root length were resulted by IBA at 6000 ppm followed by NAA at 6000 ppm for Baladi and White mulberry cultivars. The C/N ratio in Baladi and White cultivars cuttings was highest in hardwood cuttings prepared in November. While the values of C/N ratio in Red mulberry cultivar cuttings were highest in hardwood cuttings prepared in January.

Pomegranate peel extracts, both ethanolic (PPE) and aqueous (PPA), demonstrated a broad spectrum of antibacterial action against Gr+ve and Gr-ve bacteria, with bacterial isolate B2 (G+ve cocci) having the maximum inhibition zone (IZ) 10.5–26.5 mm at concentrations  4.2 mg mL-1 to 267 mg mL-1. PPE's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) varies among bacterial strains, with the lowest being 8.3 mg mL-1. Ball-milled nano-scale pomegranate peel (NSPP) with 89.09 nm particle increased IZ 3-fold and decreased MIC significantly. MTT was used to assess the NSPPE's cytotoxicity against the Vero normal kidney and caco cell lines. At lower doses, NSPPE was safe, but increasing concentrations gradually lethal against Vero normal kidney cell line. NSPPE was highly toxic to caco cells, with an IC50 339.76±13.9 µg mL-1. Fish kofta samples treated with NSPPE were completely free of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus after 8 weeks of storage. This study demonstrates that NSPPE may improve fish food safety and shelf life as a natural preservative.