Basrah Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Spraying Technology and Foliar Application Result in a Smooth Layer of the Spray: a Literature Review

Majid H. R. Alheidary — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Using of foliar fertilizer application is an important issue in many crops plantation in different countries. Various studies have been conducted on this method, especially with fruits and horticulture. Few studies were performed on essential crops such as maize compared to the orchards. Concerning crops, most of these studies were performed using foliar spraying with phosphorus, and potassium, and a few attempts were carried out with foliar fertilizer during the season at different concentrations starting from the first stage of the plant. The foliar application may be sprayed with a suitable concentrate depending on the type of crop planted, growth stage, leaves age, and physicochemical properties of the sprayed liquid. As reported in the current literature, there are previous studies on this application with insufficient knowledge of mechanisms and factors governing the nutrient uptake by leaves that still need to be improved. The insufficient information about the effect of foliar fertilizer at different application rates is one of the reasons that the study focused on it, which was probably the leading cause of sometimes controversial effects with foliar fertilizers being reported. Most previous studies revealed that is necessary to apply foliar fertilizer on the plant leaves at a proper concentration and application rate compatible with the age of the crop applied. The results also indicated that a suitable concentration of foliar fertilizer no doubt leads to improved fertilizer effectiveness and can even increase plant growth activity, especially when spraying with modern technology. For an optimum both of the crop vegetative growth and yield response to foliar fertilization, it is possible to diagnose the optimum growth stage of the plant and leaf age for the starting of foliar fertilizer application related to metrological conditions such as the air temperature, and relative humidity at the time of spraying. It is necessary to recommend the crop growth stage before foliar application at a known application rate and concentration to a crop to achieve maximum efficiency at low cost as possible.

Effect of Planting Dates on Stability of New Rice Genotypes Traits Grown in Iraqi Conditions

Saddam H. Abbas — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Selecting the appropriate date for planting rice can be one of the viable solutions for proper growth and development of rice to avoid unsuitable conditions that can lead to lower productivity. Two experiments were conducted in the field of Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station in Najaf City / Iraq during 2020 and 2021. In each season, eight genotypes used and two germination dates (15 and 30 Jun). After 20 days, seedlings were transferred to the field and planted on 5^th and 20^thof July respectively. The experiment was based on a three-blocks in RCBD design to study the performance of eight genotypes at two planting dates in two seasons. Results showed significant differences for genotypes and planting dates for all traits, while seasons showed significant differences only for the number of days to 50% flowering and panicle length. The values of heritability in the broad sense (h²_BS %) were medium for all studied traits, which in turn led to an increase in the values of expected genetic advance as a percentage of the general mean (GA %), which was slightly high for grain yield (13.66 %). The genotypes showed a significant response to the late sowing date of 20^th July compared to the early date of 5^th July in the two growing seasons for most of the studied traits, including grain yield. The stability of the genotypes in four environments was highly variable. Genotype T93 had the most stable grain yield and the highest 1000-grain weight, while Forat1 showed a response to late sowing. Furthermore, the Forat1 responded to suitable environmental conditions of the number of days to 50% flowering, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield. Therefore, the genotypes which have superiority and stability over various environments could be successfully used as crucial material in the future breeding programs.

Use of sequential extraction methods to evaluate the environmental impact of trace metal in the Iraqi coastlines

Alaa A. Mizhir, Wesal F. Hassan, Dounia K. K. Al-Khuzie, Zuhair A. Abdulnabi — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The geochemical distribution of several trace metals (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), chrome (Cr), cobalt (Co) and iron (Fe)) was investigated using five sequential extraction procedures to provide information on their distribution and environmental impacts on the Iraqi coastal sediments. Sediment samples were collected from 16 sites along the coast to determine the concentrations of the above metals. The concentration and ratios of these metals were estimated in the sediment extract (concentration on the exchange surfaces, carbonates, manganese oxides and iron oxides, organic matter and those associated with the remainder) using extraction methods (magnesium chloride, 1 molar of sodium acetate, 0.5 molar of hydroxylamine hydrochloride, 0.2 molar of ammonium oxalate, concentrated nitric acid and 25% of hydrofluoric acid) to extract and separate the above fractions in order. The results indicated that the total sediment content of Pb and Cd were higher than their rate of occurrence in the crust, while copper, zinc, nickel, chrome, cobalt and iron were within those limits. According to the I-geo the metals Cr, Cu and Zn are considered at unpolluted class while Ni and Pb were ranged from moderately to strongly level. On the other had Cd was found at extremely level as its I-geo exceeded the highest-class value. These metals are bonded to different power bonds. Pb, Cr and Co have dominant in exchangeable and carbonates fraction. Iraqi tidal flats is characterized by very high risk considering Cr, Pb, Co and Cu which represented by RAC values, so they can move to the solution to become available for living.

Genetic Stability of Different Genotypes of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grown Under Levels of Nitrogen Fertilizer

Saddam H. Abbas — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Obtaining highly productive and stable varieties through different environments is one of the most important goals sought by plant breeders. A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different nitrogen fertilizer levels on the stability of growth and grain yield in eight cultivars of bread wheat during two growing seasons (2020-2021 and 2021-2022), using split plot arrangement in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that there was a significant response of some genotypes to the levels of nitrogen fertilizer for grain yield and its components during the two growing seasons. The Iba99 genotype was characterized by the highest mean of grain yield, number of grains. spike^-1 and spike length, followed by the Baghdad2 genotype. The genotypes under study differed in the stability of traits in different environments. Baghdad2 showed the highest stability for important traits such as grain yield, weight of 1000 grains, number of grains spike-1 and spike length, while unstable and responded to different environments for plant height and a number of spikes.m^-2. Whereas, Iba99 showed good stability for the spike length and the number of spikes.m^-2, with its response to the environments for the other traits under study. Both stability phenotypic and genotypic resultant method and the stability triangle method showed very similar results with Eberhart and Russell method, therefore it is possible to rely on these two methods to estimate the stability of genotypes due to their lower complexity. Consequently, the stable genotypes traits in different environments can be selected and introduced directly into future breeding programs for the purpose of adopting new varieties. Although other genotypes showed superior characteristics of grain yield and its important components, they suffer by responding to different environments, thus they can be included in hybridization breeding programs with local varieties to transfer their desirable traits.

The Multi-drops and Cross-sections, Efficient Methods for Establishing Cell Suspension Culture of Cuminum cyminum L. and Plant Regeneration

Shifa M. Salih , Rasha F. Al-Jirjees — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The current study aims of the current study is to establish cell suspension cultures of the medicinal plant, cumin Cuminum cyminum L. by the application of multiple drops and cross-section techniques. These methods were used in cultivating cell suspensions and in vitro plant regeneration. Leaf, stem, hypocotyl and root explants were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing different concentrations (0.05, 0.5 and 1.0 mg.l^-1) of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and (0.05, 0.1, 1.0 and 2.0 mg.l^-1) benzyl adenine BA for callus production. The results indicated the high response of cumin, as the percentage of callus initiation was 100%.The plant regeneration percentage reached 91.6%. Moreover, a friable callus of hypocotyls was appropriate for initiation of cell suspension culture in MS medium with 0.5mg.l^-1NAA and 1.0 mg.l^-1benzyl adenine (BA). The best density for primordial callus formation was 51.0 ×10⁵cells ml^-1 in both multiple-drops and cross-sections embedding methods. Callus that had been produced from multi drops and sectors had the ability for shoot regeneration. This study clarified the efficiency of these techniques in establishing cell suspension culture and shoot regeneration, which could be promising sources for high production of active compounds in cumin plant.

Isolation and Purification of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) Seeds Protein, Testing Their Antibacterial Activity, and Using to Extend The Shelf Life of Beef Patties

Mohammed A. Alsoufi, Raghad A. Aziz — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Antimicrobial proteins (AMP) from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds were isolated and purified using the saturation of (NH₄)₂So₄ by 80% and gel filtration through Sephacryl S-200, the inhibition zone of the separated peak was 24, and 22 mm for growth of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium respectively. The molecular mass was 28385 Da estimated through Sephacryl S-200. The optimum pH for activity was 5.5. It was stable at 4.5-7.5, while it lost 21.07 and 55.65% from its activity at pH 3 and 8 respectively, the optimum temperature for activity was 35°C and it was stable at 35°C for 60 min, while it lost all inhibitory activity at 65°C for the same time. The use of AMP at 100 mg resulted in an inhibition zone of 37± 2.92, 35±1.68, 32±2.33, and 33±2.09 mm, with a significant difference at (P≤0.05) against E. coli and S. Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus, respectively. The use of AMP to extend the shelf life of beef patties at 100 mg.kg^-1 resulted in a decrease in the total count of bacteria, as it reached 7.4×10²±0.18, 4.6×10²±0.22 and 2.8×10²±0.19 CFU.g^-1, while it was 7.4×10²±0.23, 8.2×10²±0.31, and 9.5×10²±0.27 CFU.g^-1 in the control sample during a storage period of 0, 3, and 6 d at 4°C. It was observed that there was no significant difference in the control treatment and AMP added on 0 d, while a significant difference was observed at (P≤0.05) for treatments at a storage period of 3 and 6 d at 4°C.

Effect of Dexamethasone on Tail Regeneration in the Electric Black Ghost Knifefish Apteronotus albifrons (Linnaeus, 1766)

Ammar A. Issa, Ilham J. J. Alshami, Hutheyfa A. H. Al-Salih — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The study was conducted to find out the impact of dexamethasone of different doses on tail regeneration in the electric black ghost knifefish Apteronotus albifrons (Linnaeus, 1766) after two weeks of amputation. Fish were distributed into five equal groups; Dexamethasone drug was applied at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg.l^-1. Water was exchanging every 48 hours with new prepared drug to ensure its stability in treatments. Concentrations 1, 2 and 3 mg.l^-1 were not lethal , while the concentration 4 mg.l^-1 was lethal, It was observed that fish were dead after four days for concentration 4 mg.l^-1.The study showed that the group of control was increased considerably (P < 0.05) (4.5mm± 0.866) in the tail after 14 days of amputation in comparing with treated groups. Treated groups (1, 2 and 3 mg.l^-1) showed slowly increase with an average 2.83mm ±0.763, 2.50mm ±0.500, and 2.33mm ±0.577 respectively. The mean of relative gene expression of the junb was 1.109 in control group that is significant (P < 0.05) compared with treated groups that showed a decrease in junb expression (0.074 for 1 mg.l^-1, 0.050 for 2 mg.l^-1and 0.006 for 3 mg.l^-1). Current study concludes that dexamethasone inhibit tissues regeneration after amputation via suppress stem cells growth, and junb gene specific for stem cells enhancing and the drug reduced its expression.

Surface Ultrastructure and Molecular Studies of Clinostomum complanatum (Rudolphi, 1814) Braun, 1899 (Trematoda: Clinostomidae) Metacercariae in some Freshwater Fishes from Sulaimani Province, Iraq

Younis S. Abdullah, Samir J. Bilal, Taeeb A. Hama Soor, Yousif O. Mohammad — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Clinostomum is a trematode genus in the family Clinostomidae. The mentioned trematode species is parasitizing many fish species as intermediate hosts, while piscivorous birds and mammals are the main definitive hosts. Total of 58 metacercariae of Clinostomum larvae were dissected out from 25 infected fish specimens from eight different species from a number of water bodies of Sulaimani Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. In this investigation, 959 fish specimens were collected. These includes five cyprinid species: Capoeta trutta (Heckel), C. umbla (Heckel), Carasobarbus kosswigi (Ladiges), Cyprinion macrostomum Heckel and Garra rufa (Heckel), two leuciscid species: Alburnus sellal Heckel and Squalius lepidus Heckel and the mugilid fish Planiliza abu (Heckel). The prevalence of infection for each of these species was 1.8%, 5%, 20%, 1.5%, 1.7%, 4.9%, 4.9% and 1.3%, respectively. The morphology of the Clinostomum metacercariae was studied by using a compound microscope; their ultra-morphology was evaluated with a scanning electron microscopy (SEM); and the molecular analysis were performed by amplifying, sequencing and comparing the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and 28S rDNA gene loci from isolated Clinostomum metacercariae. The obtained sequences confirmed that all metacercariae of the Clinostomum, collected during the present study, represented with C. complanatum (Rudolphi, 1814) based on percent identity with sequences in the GenBank subject database. The molecular characterisations of the C. complanatum metacercariae in the present study were deposited in GenBank NCBI.

Assessment of Heavy Metals in Eggplant Fruit from Urban and Rural Areas of Bangladesh

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Dietary intake of contaminated food with heavy metals may cause severe risk for the human health. Heavy metals affect adversely a human health. The current study assessed the concentrations of heavy metals including Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) of urban and rural areas in Bangladesh. The experimental samples of fresh eggplant fruits were collected from six local markets in Jashore, Bangladesh, and the tissues were extracted with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Trace elements in eggplant fruits were estimated with atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Obtained result show that Heavy metal concentrations were high in the urban areas compared to rural areas. Heavy metals in the eggplant fruits of rural and urban areas were: Pb (2.74-18.64), Cu (10.20-67.16), Ni (46.63-148.46), and Zn (86.65-148.73) mg.kg^-1 respectively. The concentrations of Pb, Ni and Zn in eggplant were at an excess of safe limits according to the Food and Agriculture and World Health Organizations. While, Cu was lower than the maximum safe limit. The present study concluded that growing eggplants in Jashore areas are heavily contaminated with Pb, Ni and Zn that would be hazardous for consumer’s health. The result of this study will be beneficial for the agricultural policy makers in Bangladesh to take appropriate action and reduce the heavy metal toxicity among fresh food products.

Potential of Bacillus toyonensis and Paenibacillus alvei as Plant Growth Promoter on Melon Manis Terengganu (MMT)

Mariana Mohammad, Noor A. Badaluddin, Mohammad M. Khandaker, Eeyad A. Asri — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Cucumis melo var inodorus cv. Manis Terengganu is known as Terengganu’s iconic fruits. However, MMT production is still insufficient to satisfy local demand. Over-reliance on chemical fertilizers to MMT has reduced soil fertility, degraded soil quality resistance, and negatively affected the environment. As a result, efficient microorganisms such as Paenibacillus alvei and Bacillus toyonensis were investigated as possible ecologically compatible biofertilisers for MMT. In this study, B. toyonensis and P. alvei produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at concentrations of 20.49 µg.mL^-1and 19.18 µg.mL^-1, respectively. hen, the greenhouse testing was conducted to evaluate the potentiality of effective microbes as plant growth promoter rhizobacteria by introducing the soil with B. toyonensis, P. alvei, and consortium. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three groups of bacteria plus the control and each treatment replicated 15 times. Data were analyzed according to ANOVA procedure. As a result, B. toyonensis, P. alvei, and consortium significantly increased in all experimental growth parameters such as plant height, leaves, chlorophyll content, root mass, root length, leaf area, fruit weight, macronutrients, and micronutrients compared to control. Overall, the results showed that the effective single microbial strains promoted the development of MMT more effectively than the consortium

Occurrence of Hysterothylacium Species (Nematoda: Raphidascarididae) from Some Marine Fishes from Iraqi Waters

Atheer H. Ali, Jawad A. Mizher — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Parasitological investigation of 22 species of marine fishes in territorial Iraqi waters, during the period from October 2019 till September 2020, revealed recording of six different species of Hysterothylacium Ward & Magath, 1917 in different developmental stages. These nematodes including two species in adult stage of Hysterothylacium viz, H. reliquens (Norris & Overstreet, 1975) and Hysterothylacium sp. (females only), two species of fourth larval stages (Hysterothylacium sp. type BH and Hysterothylacium sp. type BI) and two species of third larval stages (Hysterothylacium sp. type BA and Hysterothylacium sp. type BC). Identification of Hysterothylacium sp. was based on female only isolated from Blackfin stonefish Pseudosynanceia melanostigma Day, 1875; Hysterothylacium sp. type BH 4^th larval stage isolated from Arabian backspot threadfin Polydactylus mullani (Hora, 1926) and Hysterothylacium sp. type BI 4^th larval stage from purple-spotted bigeye Priacanthus tayenus Richardson, 1846; all these parasitic nematodes recorded for the first time in the Arabian Gulf. In addition, 14 fish species are considered as new hosts for Hysterothylacium sp. type BC 3^rd larval stage. Description of female Hysterothylacium sp., Hysterothylacium sp. type BH and BI both 4^th larval stages are given. The interest record of inverse intestinal caecum in some specimens of 3^rd larval stage of Hysterothylacium type BC in some marine fishes of the current study is given.

Effect of Water Stress and Levels of Bio-Organic Fertilizers on Water Productivity and Potato Solanum tuberosum L. Yield

Tareq K. Masood, Alaa S. Ati , Qusai O. Hammadi — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

A field experiment was conducted at the University of Baghdad, Al-Jadriya in the spring season of 2021 for the potato crop under the influence of organic biofertilizers and water stress. Three levels of bio-organic fertilizers were used 0 (OM0), 1 (OM1) and 1.5 (OM2) ton ha-1 and three levels of irrigation 30 (I-30), 50 (I-50) and 75 (I-75) % water depletion were available to evaluate the role of bio-organic fertilizer and water stress in production functions and water use efficiency. I-30 treatment showed the highest water consumption ranging between 468 and 486 mm season^-1 and decreased to 355-436 mm with water stress treatments I-75. The values of water consumption varied according to the levels of bio-organic fertilizer. The percentage of decrease in water consumption was 1.49 and 3.66% at low stress and reached 6.37% at high stress (I-75) compared to OM0. Both treatments I-30 and I-50 gave the same yield. Bio-organic fertilization led to an increase in the average yield of tubers 32.8 and 41.9% for both OM1 and OM2 compared to OM0. The production functions indicate that the yield increases by 0.057 ton ha^-1 mm-1 of added water, and the water depth must be greater than 64.2 mm to obtain a yield that is 1.96 ton ha-1 more (significant limit) than the treatments in the experiment (1.96=0.057(Irr.). )-1.70). Fertilizer levels are higher than 1.9 ton ha^-1 to obtain a higher yield of tubers by 26.29 tons/ha and the efficiency of water use is nil according to the water use function when the water consumption is higher than 692.7 mm. The response factor decreased when adding bio-organic fertilizer compared to OM0, which means that plants were not affected significantly under water stress conditions.

Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Composed by Fruit Aqueous Extract of Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench Alone or in Combination with Antibiotics

Ali A. Shareef, Fadhil J. Farhan, Fulla A. A. Alriyahee — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Nanoparticle applications are growing due to the unique properties that nanoparticles possess, which have gained the attention of researchers, and one of these applications is the use of inhibiting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The current work aims to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles from the fruits of the okra plant Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench and test their antibacterial activity alone or in combination with some antibiotics. The creation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by altering the color of the mixture from light green to dark brown, in addition to employing spectroscopic methods to prove and explain the production of these particles, such as UV-vis, FTIR, XRD, and EDX. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the shape and sizes of the particles created in the current study. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were tested alone or in combination with some antibiotics for their ability to inhibit four species of antibiotic-resistant MDR bacteria, three of which were Gram-negative and the fourth was Gram-positive bacteria. The results demonstrated that these bacteria were inhibited when using nanoparticles at all concentrations alone or in combination with antibiotics. AgNPs were found to be more effective against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, Staphylococcus auricularis (8F) was the most sensitive bacteria at all concentrations, while Escherichia coli (3R) was the most resistant. The results of the combination of AgNPs with some antibiotics revealed that the best synergy was recorded when AgNPs mixed with Amoxicillin clavulanate against all species of Gram-negative bacteria, followed by ciprofloxacin, Ampicillin, and Fosfomycin.

Efficiency of Silicon and Silver Nanoparticles against the Infestation of Tribolium castanium (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on Wheat Grains under Laboratory Conditions

Seham Salah, Aqeel A. Alyousuf , Mohammed H. Abass — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as one of the promising new technologies for pest control. In this study, a screening program was conducted to evaluate the impact of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the mortality of the adult stage of Tribolium castanium on wheat grains. The nanoparticles were synthesized using a laser ablation process, and their characterization was performed using Zeta-sizer, UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Different concentration levels of SiNPs and AgNPs (100 ppm, 200 ppm, 300 ppm, and 400 ppm) were tested to assess their effects on T. castaneum mortality. The LC₅₀ value for SiNPs and AgNPs were calculated at 438.3 and 657.4 ppm NPs, respectively. The feeding method revealed that AgNPs resulted in 40% mortality, while SiNPs resulted in 70% mortality. These findings suggest that the synthesized SiNPs have a greater potential as an alternative option in managing pests in stored products compared to AgNPs at the same exposure time (four days). The results showed that both SiNPs and AgNPs were having a potential effect on adult stage of T. castaneum. This study demonstrated the utility of AgNPs and SiNPs in T.castaneum pest management programs.

Enhancing Germination and Seedling Growth in Salt Stressed Maize Lines through Chemical Priming

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

This study aimed to investigate the tolerance level and the use of primers (H₂O, KNO₃, ascorbic acid and salicylic acid), in mitigating stress in maize in the newly released cultivars (SWAN-LSR-Y, BR9928-OMR-SR-Y and OMR-LSR-SY). Activities of SOD, APX, CAT and GSH and lipid peroxidation were investigated, to measure the biochemical response of the primed maize seeds. Maize seeds primed with KNO₃ and ascorbic acid improved germination and anti-oxidative potential against ROS in ameliorating the salinity stress, while salicylic acid slowed germination. The same trend was followed in the seed vigour index and radicle length of seeds primed with ascorbic acid, which recorded the highest values. The control was observed to have the highest seed vigour index, while seeds primed with salicylic acid showed the least vigour index in the maize seeds. Increased salinity stress showed adverse effects on all growth parameters. Of the maize cultivars tested, SWAN-LSR-Y showed the most tolerance to salinity stress, in terms of germination. Significant high enzymatic activities and lipid peroxidation were recorded in seeds primed with ascorbic acid and KNO₃ show their importance in plant metabolic activities.

Adsorption Reaction and Kinetics of Zn on Zeolite Mineral Comparing with Two Calcareous Soils

Maysam A. R. Al-Mashhdany, Akram A. H. Al-Hadethi — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study zinc adsorption at eight concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 mg L^-1) by using ZnSO₄.7H₂O. with two replicates were used for each concentration, where 20 mL of zinc solution was added to 1 gram of natural zeolite, synthetic zeolite, soil 1, and soil 2. Langmuir equation was used to describe the relationship between zinc adsorption and its concentration. Additionally, the Freundlich equation was used to describe adsorption of ions. Freundlich equation was found to be more important than Langmuir equation, as the values of k and b in Freundlich equation and the R² values for natural and synthetic zeolites were higher in both soils. The second experiment involved kinetics. Zeolite and soil were kept moist at field capacity throughout the incubation period. Zinc was extracted using DTPA after each incubation period, with two replicates to study the rate of zinc release from zeolite and soil over time and its concentration in the solution. results showed a decrease in the availability of added zinc with increasing incubation time. The highest concentration of available zinc was found when zinc was added to synthetic zeolite, reaching 346 µg Zn⁺² ml^-1 at the end of the incubation period. The second-order equation was the most effective in describing the behavior of zinc and its reaction rate during the incubation period, representing the period of crop growth.

Response of some Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Growth Parameters to Nano Phosphate Fertilizer Compared to Superphosphate Fertilizer

Mohanad A. Alsulaiman, Abdulmahdi S. H. Al-Ansari — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

An outdoor pots experiment was conducted at agricultural research station, University of Basrah, southern Iraq (30°34'4.80" N 47°44'56.40" E) during winter season of 2021-2022. The study was carried to reveal the effect of Nano phosphate fertilizer compared to superphosphate fertilizer on growth parameters of two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.). Superphosphate fertilizer was added at rates of 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg p ha^-1, while, Nano phosphate source was applied at 0, 3, and 6 kg P. ha^-1. Two wheat cultivars (Jad and Adina) were used. Both P sources were mixed with pot soils at planting time. Wheat plants were grown for 70 days period. Plant parameters: tillers numbers, plant high, leaves number, flag leaf area, dry weight, P concentration were obtained at harvest time. Phosphorus uptake was calculated at same time. Results of the study showed that there was no significant differences in all studied growth parameters between superphosphate and Nano phosphate sources, even though the rate of applied Nano phosphate source were much lower than that of superphosphate source. The results also indicated that, irrespective of the origin of phosphorus, higher rates of applied phosphorus led to an increase in all the growth parameters examined. When comparing the two phosphorus sources and their application rates, most growth parameters for the Adina cultivar exceeded those of the Jad cultivar at both phosphorus sources applied rates. Additionally, the results highlighted a significant interaction among treatments for all the investigated growth parameters.

Chemical Control of the Leaf Miner Scaptomyza flava Fallen (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and Determination of Acetamipride and Abamectin Residues on Radish Plant

Amjed A. Fadhil, Nadia K. Thamer — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Scaptomyza flava (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a serious pest that attacks Brassicaceae, causing significant production losses. The current study was carried out to evaluate the relative efficiency of deltamethrin 2.5 EC, abamectin 1.8 EC, and acetamiprid 20 SP insecticides. In addition to determining the acetamiprid 20 SP and abamectin1.8 EC residues in the leaves and roots of radish. The mortality score revealed that acetamiprid 20 SP, and abamectin 1.8 EC achieved 87.3% and 72.8% respectively after 72 hours compared to deltamethrin 2.5 EC, which scored 54.42%. The chromatogram outcomes of acetamiprid 20 SP and Abamectin1.8EC demonstrated that the acetamiprid 20 SP residues sharply decreased. They reduced from 1856.8 and 25.9 to 0 mg.L^-1 in both leaves and roots respectively after ten days of application. While the Abamectin1.8 EC residue was decreasing from 954.12 to 0 mg.L^-1after ten days. Furthermore, abamectin 1.8 EC residues have not been detected in the radish roots. The overall consequence proposed that both acetamiprid 20 SP and abamectin1.8 EC are highly efficient in the controlling of Scaptomyza flava larva and there are no harmful impacts for both on the edible vegetable.

Composition of Polystyrene Containers with Extracted Betanin as Remover of Oil Spill

Hikmat A. Ali — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The work included the creation of a new adsorbent polymeric composite known as Polystyrene Betanin Composite (PSBC) which was prepared using the waste polystyrene and patanin from beets. The composite Polystyrene Betanin Composite (PSBC) serves as an ongoing work included the creation of a new adsorbent polymeric composite known as PSBC which was prepared using the waste polystyrene and patanin from beets. The composite PSBC serves as a cleaning for oil spills. The composite PSBC a highly effective remover for cleaning up oil spills from water. Then studied the effect of various ratios (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 wt%) of PSBC composite at a constant time to enhance the ability of PSBC composite as an oil spill absorption was studied. It can be seen, a high oil absorption capacity (2.484 g/g) at a ratio of 0.6. Furthermore, the impact of extending the time for the oil spill to absorb was studied, the best period was 105 minutes. After that, the crude oil was recovered from the sorbent material PSBC by dissolving the sample (sorbent materials laden with crude oil) in gasoline. Finally, through the experimental results of this study depict, the new composite PSBC can be considered a good crude oil spill remover and a good material for recovering crude oil after spillage in rivers and oceans.

Assessment of Water Quality of East Hammar Marsh Using Water Quality Index (WQI) Following the Cessation of Saline Tide in 2018

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The water quality index (WQI) was studied monthly, from November 2018 to October 2019, at three stations (Al-Saddah, Al-Burgah, & Al-Marsa) in the Basrah Governorate's East Hammar Marsh. This study measured various environmental factors, including water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, light penetration, salinity, total dissolved salts, total hardness, nitrates, nitrites, phosphate, sulfate, calcium, and magnesium. After the end of the salty tide in 2018, the first station showed poor seasonal evidence 43.7 (low WQI score) in the winter, fair 67.6 and 64.9 (third category) in the spring and summer respectively, and marginal 55.9 (fourth category) in the summer and fall. The second and third stations had poor WQI score in the Winter and marginal in the rest of the seasons. The results indicate that the water quality is polluted and deviates from its optimal state. The WQI values varied significantly across all sites. The lack of freshwater drainage and ongoing marine water impacts are the reasons for the deterioration of water quality. Treatment is recommended to address this issue.

Analyzing Phytohormone Levels in Fruits of Date Palm Phoenix dactylifera L. Derived from Tissue Culture under Different Pollination Treatments

Firas M. Al-Hamoud, Abdulkareem M. Abd, Muntaha A. Ati — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

This study evaluated three male date palm varieties, namely, Red-Ganami, Red-Ganami + Khakri Al-Adi and Red-Ganami + Al-Canary, in three age of spathes (early, late and middle) in a private orchard at Al-Seebah district, Basrah province. The plants were subjected to two pollination dates immediately after opening of female flowers and three days after opening of female flowers. The contents of auxin-like substances, gibberellin and abscisic acid in the flowers were determined. The second pollination date resulted in the highest contents of auxins, gibberellins and abscisic acid, with values of 24.305, 138.660 and 12.355 µg.gm^-1, respectively. The mixture of Red-Ganami + canary cultivars had the highest concentrations of auxin 24.512 µg.gm^-1 and gibberellins 136.842 µg.gm^-1, whereas Red-Ganami had the highest concentration of abscisic acid 3.554 μg.gm^-1. Early age of spathes showed significant differences in the concentrations of auxin and abscisic acid, with average values of 26.015 and 14.031 µg.gm^-1, respectively. Late postmenopausal age recorded the highest concentration of gibberellins at 136.842 μg.gm^-1. For the two- and three-way interactions, a statistically significant superiority was observed in most of the study coefficients. In conclusion, the contents of auxins, gibberellins and abscisic acid significantly differed with the pollination date and the pollin cultivar combinations showed the highest concentrations of these substances. The different ages of male puberty also affected pollination and fertilization

In Vitro Propagation of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Cultivar Jawzi Using Shoot Tip

Ahmed M. Ibrahim, Mohammed K. Hameed, Arifullah Mohammed — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

This study reports the successful establishment of a somatic embryogenesis technique for the mass production of a date palm Jawzi cultivar using shoot tip explants. The shoot tip, leaf primordia, and the ground of apical meristems were utilised as explants in the research. The study involved the utilisation of various types of media. It began with initiation media (IM), which had two stages for inducing embryogenesis. This was followed by multiplication media (MM), then elongation shoot media (EM), and finally rooting media (RM) and acclimatization. Embryo induction in the different media types required 50-53 weeks. The first stage, IM2, (3.0 mg.l^-l 2iP, 10.0 mg.l^-l NAA and 5.0 mg.l^-l 2,4-D) for 12 weeks. This was followed by the second stage, IM3, which lasted for 38-41 weeks and included 1.0 mg.l^-l BAP, 1.5 mg.l-l 2iP, and 1.0 mg.l-l NAA. These stages enabled us to achieve the optimal value for embryo induction. Afterward the MM3 (0.5. mg.l^-l BAP, 0.5 mg.l^-l 2iP and 0.5 mg.l^-l KIN) showed the highest percentage of total counts of embryo multiplication, while the highest shoot length was attained on EM1 (1.0. mg.l^-l BAP, 1.0 mg.l^-l KIN and 0.1 mg.l^-l IBA). The results also highlighted that RM1 (0.1 mg.l^-l BAP, 0.1 mg.l^-l KIN,1.0 mg.l^-l NAA and 0.5 mg.l^-l IBA) showed the highest roots length and roots number, in conclusion, these findings emphasise the importance of media composition in tissue culture protocols. Evaluating the effects of specific media components on different aspects of plant development can optimise tissue culture protocols for plant propagation.

Relationship Between Growth Hormone Gene Polymorphism with Milk Production and Its Components in Black Iraqi Goat

Muntaha Y. Yousief, Jaafar M. Owaid , Raghdan H. Mohsin — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Local black goat are raised for the purpose of milk production. The goal of the current study was to identify the growth hormone gene's single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPS). Additionally, the effect of the GH gene SNP on the milk qualities of Iraqi black goat was evaluated. DNA was extracted from blood samples of 28 goat. A segment with a length of 330 bp in the third intron and the fourth exon of the GH gene was analyzed. Bioinformatics software was used to analyze the results. The results showed the presence of three genotypes (TT, TC, CC) at position 263 of the studied plot with a frequency of 0.36, 0.21, and 0.43, respectively. The local breed was characterized by a decrease in observed heterozygosity (21.43%). However, the expected heterozygosity was 50.65%. Low heterozygosity may indicate the presence of inbreeding within the same herd. Haplotypes network revealed a genetic relationship between the local Iraqi goat and the Egyptian goat. As well as the existence of a genetic relationship at a lower level with the Indian goats. From Tajima's D test and Fu's Fs (1.547 and 1.428), the results led to a rise in inbreeding. In milk production, energy, and the amounts of protein. The analysis of the data using bioinformatics tools predicted the effects of identified the genotypes in which the amino acid was not altered, and this is where the mutation was found. There is a relationship between the genetic polymorphism of the growth hormone gene and the production of milk and its components. The CC genotype was superior in milk production, energy, and the amounts of protein and fat over the TC and CC combinations.

Comparison of Some Land Suitability Evaluating Methods for a Selected Gypsiferous Part in the Northern Karma Region for Irrigated Agriculture

Ali H. I. Al-Bayati, Haider H. F. Al-Azzawi, Mustafa K. Al-Ani — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

To compare the efficiency of three systems to evaluate the suitability of Gypsiferous land for irrigated agriculture, an area of 8885.4 hectares was selected in the Tharthar region – Iraq within the Euphrates terrace, which formed at Pleistocene period and mainly consisted of gypsum, the study included a semi-detailed survey of the area's soil using the Free-lance method, by selecting three parallel transects, according to the variations in texture class, soil salinity and content of gypsum, five representative pedons locations were identified and morphologically described, also soil samples from each horizon were obtained, as well as we obtained water samples from the Euphrates river-Tharthar canal and every wells located in the study area, it's transferred to the laboratory and the required analyzes were performed. The result showed the predominance of the medium soil texture class and slightly saline soil class (S1) in the study area, with a decrease in the soil carbonate content, on the contrary the soil gypsum content was increased. All wall waters was salinity, which poses a danger to agricultural use, compared to the water of the Euphrates river. A discrepancy was observed between the obtained land suitability classes. While the Sys and Verheye, 1972 system showed two poor suitability classes, Sys et al. 1991 and Al-Baji et al. 2010 has improved the appropriateness of the varieties, but the Kadhim, 2012 system was the best in terms of application in order to include the quality of irrigation water within the classification, so its results were more close to the reality diagnosed during the field visits to the study area and the questionnaire from the land users of the region

A survey, Pathogenicity assay, and Molecular Identification of the Pathogenic Fungi Associated with Pistachio in Anbar Province, Iraq

Khalid W. Tarad, Hamood M. Saleh, Tavga S. Rashid — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0300

This study was carried out in 6 different locations in the Anbar Province, between January and February 2021. The locations with higher pistachio cultivation, such as Kabisa, Al-Haditha, Al-Baghdadi, Anah, Al-Qaim, and Rawa were selected to study the prevalence of fungal diseases affecting pistachio crops. Twenty-six distinct fungal isolates were identified, and each isolate was examined for the pathogenicity. Although the level of pathogenicity of each isolate varied from high to moderate, they all caused lesions, damaged vascular tissue, signs of root rot and seed rot in pistachio seedlings. The fungal strains were identified depending on ITS marker. Twelve of the isolates belonged to Fusarium solani, 10 of F. falciforme isolates, 2 of F. oxysporum isolates, while 1 isolate of F. vanettenii and Xylaria sp. The most frequently-occurring species were F. falciforme and F. solani in the Anbar Province. Out of all the studied isolates, Al-Qaim and Al-Baghdadi were the highest pathogenic isolates. The pathogenic effects of F. vanettenii and Xylaria sp. on pistachio plants as well as the existence of F. solani and F. falciforme in Iraq were all recorded in this study for the first time.