Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding of rats on a high cholesterol diet (HCD) that contains cholesterol (1%), bile salts (0.25%) and coconut butter (15%) to evaluate the protective effect of steroidal saponins extracted from fenugreek and asparagus, and triterpenoidal saponins extracted from soapwort and licorice. The rats were divided into 6 groups, and the first one was fed on a basal diet and served as a negative control group. The second group of rats received HCD without any plant extract and served as a positive control group. The other four groups of rats were fed on HCD plus the plant extracts separately at a dose of 250 mg/kg/day during the experiment period (6 weeks). The protective effect of various saponin extracts were monitored through assays of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) in blood, liver tissues and feces of the rats as well as other blood analyses and histological examinations of liver tissues. The data indicated a significant (P<0.05) increase in the levels of TC, TG, low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) and glucose, and a significant (P<0.05) decrease in the level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) in addition to insignificant (P<0.05) differences in the levels of total bilirubin (TB), total protein (TP), urea, creatinine and uric acid in serum of hypercholesterolemic rats (the positive control) compared to the negative control. The protective effect of various saponin extracts were established by lowering the levels of TC and TG, and obtaining the other biochemical parameters near to their  normal values in serum of rats fed on these plant extracts. The data also indicate that TC and TG decreased significantly (P<0.05) in liver tissues of the rats treated with various saponin extracts compared to the positive control. Conversely, the levels of TC and TG increased significantly (P<0.05) in feces of the rats treated with various saponin extracts compared to the negative and positive controls. Histological examinations showed lower content of fats in liver tissues of the rats treated with various saponin extracts compared to the positive control. Both of steroidal and triterpenoidal saponins exhibited approximately the same efficiency in their protective effects against hypercholesterolemia. The hypocholesterolemic effect of saponin extracts may be due to the inhibition of cholesterol absorption in the intestine which led to increase of cholesterol excretion in the feces.

Brown rot disease of Canino apricots and FlordaPrince peaches is a major serious decay disease during cold storage in Egypt and worldwide, Infection of stone fruits may occur during blooming until harvest harvest which cause decay during cold storage. The effect of fungicide safe alternatives, (Chemical salts and Inducing resistance). The effect of fungicide safe alternatives, i.e. sodium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, potassium sorbate, potassium silicate,boric acid and salicylic acid, on growth of Monilinia laxa M. fructigena and Monilinia sp. as major pathogens on apricots and peaches ,was investigated at different concentrations ranged from 1000 ppm to 5000 ppm amended in PDA in vitro. Sodium bicarbonate at 1000 ppm completely suppressed the growth of the three isolates of Monilinia spp., Calcium chloride at 1000 ppm to 5000 ppm, did not show any suppression of M. laxa or Monilinia sp., while it suppressed M. fructigena when used at ≥4000 ppm. Potassium silicate did not show considerable effectiveness against different tested isolates of Monilinia spp. IC50 values (chemical concentration that reduce fungal growth to 50%) of sodium bicarbonate, potassium sorbate and salicylic acid on M. fructigena were less than 1000 ppm. On M. laxa, only sodium bicarbonate showed IC50 less than 1000 ppm, while the IC50 values of potassium sorbate and boric acid were less than 2000 ppm. Regarding Monilinia sp. sodium bicarbonate and potassium sorbate IC50 values were less than 1000 ppm. Generally, sodium bicarbonate, potassium sorbate and salicylic acid showed IC50 values less than 1000 ppm, 2000 ppm, and 3000 ppm, respectively.   These salts and inducers at 3000 ppm, were used as three preharvest sprays starting at growth stage no. 64 and then repeated twice at 10 days intervals in orchard located at Qualyubia and Ismailia, during seasons 2015 and 2016. These salts and acids were also adopted at 3000 ppm on naturally infected or artificially inoculated fruits after harvest at growth stage no. 81 during season 2016. Sodium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, potassium sorbate and boric acid were the most effective treatments to control brown rot disease on apricots and peaches during cold storage at 0oC and 90% RH for 15 days and 30 days, either these chemicals were sprayed preharvest or adopted after harvest. These treatments maintained fruit quality regarding firmness and acidity.

Egypt is working on the development of Egyptian agricultural exports and trying to create new markets as this leads to increasing national income and thus economic development, and this comes through improving the agricultural marketing system. Therefore, it can be said that marketing is an accelerated economic development accelerator and may be an obstacle to economic development if the agricultural marketing system is not improved, onion crop in Egypt is exposed recently to many of the problems of production and marketing as well as export problems in either fresh or preserved form that led to The decline in production  and the fluctuation of cultivated area and hence the high price of the consumer with the low quality that the global exports of onions ranged from a minimum of about 8.2 million tons in 2000 and a maximum of 8.6 million tons in 2016. As shown in the same table, India is ranked first in terms of the average quantity of onion exports. The average quantity of exports of this crop reached about 1.3 million tons, representing about 22% of the average total volume of global exports of onions, which is about 6.18 million tons during the same period.

Lentil and Chickpea seeds were used to investigated the effect of seed sprouting using tap and saline water on sprout growth, proximate analysis, energy, minerals content, anti-nutritional compounds and amino acid profile of sprouted samples comparing with dry seeds. Result revealed that higher NaCl concentration > 2000 ppm reduce sprouts radical length of both lentil and chickpea. Sterilized seeds sprouting using tap water and non-sterilized seeds sprouting using saline water decreased sprout moisture content and carbohydrate which resulting in reducing faecal and total coliform counts for both lentil and chickpea. Moreover these treatment increased protein content and energy, (Kcal /g) as compared with dry seeds and other treatments. Sprouting decreased antinutritional compounds compared with dry seeds with sharbly decreament in phytic acid followed by taninins content. Mineral content in sprouts were recorded. The chickpea sprout sample using steralized seeds with tap water for sprouting serve as good sources calcium and phosphorous . Amino acid profile of lentil and chickpea sprouts were also studied. Sprouts using saline water recorded higher lysine amino acid value compared with dry seeds while non-steralized chickpea seeds sprouts using saline water recorded the higher total sulpher amino acid (Methionen + Cystiean) value. Based on these results, sprouting process is recommended to increase nutritive value and decreased antinutritional compounds of lentil and chickpea seeds.

The importance of the wheat crop is reflected as one of the main cereals crops and the most important strategic crops that attract the attention of economic policy makers. It is the main source of the bread industry, which is the staple food for all population groups. However, domestic production is not sufficient for population needs. In addition to an increase in the percentage of wheat losses, which leads to increase imports to meet the deficit between wheat production and consumption, and then increase the burden of the import bill.  On the other hand, the production and storage of wheat has become one of the most important issues facing Egypt at present and in the future due to the limited number of countries that can export wheat and  all of production and storage conditions are subjected to natural and climatic changes. Therefore, the study aims at determining the main determinants of wheat production and  storage in Egypt in order to include it in a proposed mechanism for improving the wheat production and storage.  In the light of this, the study found (using simulataneous equations models) that the most important determinants of wheat production and storage in Egypt are limited to the cultivated area of wheat, the farm price of wheat, wheat production in the previous year, the imports quantity in the previous year, consumption quantity, wheat storge, import price, population, consumption quantity for the previous year, previous year's storge, imports quantity, where the statistical significance was proved at 0.05 level, and the significance of the model as a whole was proved. It was also found that about (68% -91%) of changes in wheat production and stock were due to the change in the independent variables under study.

The field experiment was established at the experimental farm of the Horticultural Research Station of Barrage, Qalyubia Governorate during 2014 and 2015 growing seasons to evaluate the impact of irrigation levels i.e.,120, 100, 80 and 60% of the evapotranspiration (ETc) and stress alleviation substances (seaweed extract, potassium silicate and abscisic acid against control treatment) on growth, corm yield and quality of taro (Colocasia esculenta cv. Balady), with a particular attempt  to establish irrigation water strategy for taro cultivation. The results indicated a reduction in plant growth and corm yield as well as quality due to minimizing irrigation level from 120 to 60% ETc. But the highest water use efficiency (WUE) was obtained with 80% irrigation level. Seaweed extract showed a superior enhancement in all measured vegetative, yield and quality parameters followed by potassium silicate compared to abscisic acid or control. Seaweed extract heightened the WUE compared to other substances. Results concluded that using 80% irrigation level accompanied by spraying plants with seaweed extract  led to a mild reduction in the plant growth, yield and quality but conferred the higher WUE compared to other interactive treatments.

The aim of the present study to detect the population and frequency (%) of microorganism (bacteria, fungi and yeasts) in royal jelly samples. The data indicated that, there are no significant differences were remarked in the population of microorganisms between all the samples for bacteria, fungi and yeasts, where the mean number of population was 5.923, 1.38 and 7.85 colonies/sample for bacteria, fungi and yeasts respectively, in produced royal jelly from honeybee colonies, local royal jelly collected from Egyptian market and samples of imported royal jelly collected from Egyptian market, respectively. According to the isolation and identification procedures for detected royal jelly samples, four bacteria types (Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus wakoensis and Micrococcus luteus), two fungi types (Aspergillusniger and Penicillium sp.) and one yeast type (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were determined. The data also summarized that Clostridium botulinum was the most frequency compared with the other bacterial types, where the percentage of frequency was 1.8 – 2.5, 0.9 – 1.4, 0.4 – 0.6 and 1.5 – 2.0% for C. botulinum, B. cereus, B. wakoensis and Micrococcus luteus, respectively. Meanwhile, Penicillium sp. the most frequency compared with A. niger, where the percentage of frequency was 0.5 - 2.9 and 0.7 – 1.0 %, respectively, in produced royal jelly from honeybee colonies, local royal jelly samples collected from Egyptian market and imported royal jelly samples collected from Egyptian market respectively. Regarding the yeasts, the data also summarized that, S. cerevisiae was the most frequency in royal jelly that produced from  honeybee colonies (2.9%) followed by which local royal jelly samples collected from Egyptian market (2.1%) and imported royal jelly samples collected from Egyptian market (1.8%).

Egyptian agricultural lands are subject to many constraints and challenges which negatively impact the ability of the state to produce the food needs of the present and the inability to provide food needs As a result of the difficulty of reexploiting the land in agricultural activity with the same efficiency, only by providing a large amount of financial resources that were supposed to be directed to the development of the agricultural sector and improve the standard of living of the population. The research aims to study the role of agricultural policies in the development and protection of agricultural land, The results showed, the land area of the first class declined to less than 45% during the period (1996-2000), The total area of agricultural land that has been violated since 1983 until 1/10/2017 about 318.5 thousand acres, of  which about 27 thousand acres, the percentage of the removal of the violations of about 30.20 % Since 25/1/2011 until 1/10/2017. It is expected that the proportion of agricultural land of the total area of the total area of Egypt  about 3.88% in 2016 and will be about 4.06% in 2020, an increase of about 1.4%, representing about 52.6% from 1990 .The results of the analysis showed that the area will increase in the coming years, Means that the policies are in the right direction towards the sustainability of agricultural land resources with the need to follow up and develop solutions that reduce and respond to the deterioration and decline of agricultural land in Egypt to achieve sustainable agricultural development.

Nanotechnology has become promise field as a new approach for pest managing in recent years. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the toxicity of synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using aqueous plant extract (Rosmary, Laura and Cardamom) and their concentrations against main stored grain insect pest (Sitophilus granarius), microbial contents and nutritive value. Wheat grain which were treated with Rosmary 5 showed 100% mortality for adults of S. granarius after 120 h., while the same efficacy of Laura5 and Cardamom 5 recorded after 144 h. LC50 and LC90 values of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were identified against S. granarius indicated that the toxicity of AgNPs varied according to the plant extractio and exposure period.The carbohydrate, fiber, fat, protien and ash content of the treated wheat grains were significantly higher than control. While, the microbial contents were not detected after treatments by most AgNPs concentrations. In conclusion, the synthesis of AgNPs with high amounts from each plant extract and lower concentration from AgNo3 (1 µg/ml) can be used as a valuable tool in pest management programs of S. granarius, reducing  microbial content, and increasing the nutrition values, that led to increase shelf life of stored wheat grain. The results showed that these compounds could be used as a source of bioactive compounds safely for ecosystem.

The current study was carried out to check the completion of label information and determine the physico- chemical properties of commercial pesticides samples traded in the Egyptian markets. Twenty-nine market samples were collected during the years 2015 and 2016 for commercial formulations produced by different manufacturers from pesticide shops in four governorates (Cairo, Giza, Qaluobia and Sharqia). The collected samples included 18 preparations in the form of Emulsifiable Concentrates(EC), 11 in the form wettable powder (WP). Physico- chemical properties were determined for each formulation according to international standard methods (CIPAC, 2003) through tests of pH value, Persistent Foam, Emulsion Stability, Suspencibility and Wettability. The obtained results showed that although the label data was complete for many of the packages, some information found be missing. The missing information was related to directions for use (4%), safety precautions and first aid (7%), anti-dote (12%), hazard category (6%), Pre-Harvest Interval, (PHI) (17%), registration number (13%) and Batch number (18%). Regarding physico- chemical properties, the obtained data indicated that there was a difference in the percentage of the foam layer for the tested formulations of chlorprifos-ethyl (6 preparations) (Tafaban 48%EC, Pyrifos El-Nasr 48% EC, Pestiban 48% EC, Pyriban-A 48% EC, Chlorfan 48% EC and Chlorzan 48% EC). These preparations were in accordance with international standards in terms of emulsion stability after half an hour, while the mismatching samples showed that the formed layer exceeded the standard volume after two hours of maximum limits, and failed to test emulsion stability after 24.5 hours, as well as in the free oil layer formed at the same time. The results of the emulsion stability tests showed four other tested formulations, namely, lambda chalothrin (Fly Free 5% EC), chlorpyrifos – methyl (Pyrodan 50% EC), and two different formulations for malathion (Agrothion 57% EC and Malason Extra 57% EC), all of which conform to standard specifications in terms of level of foam layer, as well as complete emulsification after half an hour. The cream layer after half an hour was identical. However, the difference and mismatch in three formulations appeared after two hours of emulsification, where the percentage of the cream layer exceeded the allowed limits, and the free oil layer was not conforming to specifications, (after two hours or 24.5 hours). Also, the tested preparations of abamectin (Demectin 1.8% EC and Gold 1.8% EC) and emamectin benzoate (Basha 1.9% EC and Excellent 1.9% EC) have been successful in the tests of Persistent Foam, Emulsion stability (cream layer and free oil layer formed after half an hour and two hours as well as 24.5 hours). Comparing the efficiency of emulsification among other EC formulations including fenitrothion (Sumithion 50% EC), diazinon (Diazinox 60% EC) and profenofos (Sylian 72% EC and Teleton 72% EC) conformed to specifications in terms of level of foam layer. However, both Sumithion and Diazinox failed to stabilize, forming a creamy layer that exceeded the standard the maximum limit after two hours. For WP formulations, some have successfully passed the suspensibility test, while other formulations, including preparations of Bacillus thuringensis bacteria (Agerin 6.5% WP, Dipel 2X 6.4% WP and Protecto 9.4%WP). have not been successful. These results confirm the importance of developing monitoring and surveillance activities for pesticides formulations traded on the market, and to develop special means for checking the quality of products and detecting products that are counterfeit or non-conforming to the declared specifications or National and International standards.