Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences

The study aimed to reveal the effect of some sustainable treatments under prolonged irrigation intervals on potato plant growth, yield, and starch properties .The experiment carried out at vegetable field of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences - University of Baghdad during spring season 2023. The experiment was conducted using split arrangement within Randomized Complete Block Design with two factors and three replicates (2X6X3). Applying TiO2-NPs represented the first factor (main plot) (10 mg.L-1), which symbolized (T0, T1). six treatments were included to represent subplots (regular irrigation interval (I) prolonged irrigation interval (D), fungal biofertilizers (DB), fungal biofertilizers + mannitol (DBM), fungal biofertilizers +xanthan (DBZ), fungal biofertilizers + mannitol+ xanthan (DBMZ). Results exhibited the superiority plants that grew under prolonged irrigation periods in amylose percent over regular irrigated plants. In contrast, amylopectin exhibits the opposite behavior. i.e., plant that grew under regular water conditions revealed superiority in amylopectin percent, and that for sole treatments and interactions.

This study was aimed to investigate vegetative growth indicators of four oat cultivars (Genzania, Shefa, Carrolup, and Hamel) at seeding rates of 80, 100, and 120 kg ha⁻¹ in a factorial experiment within a randomized block design during the winter season 2022-2023. Genzania showed significant superiority in leaf area, relative growth rate (0.0707 g g⁻¹ day⁻¹), and total dry mass (21.54 tons ha⁻¹). Shefa excelled in tiller count (365.10 tillers m⁻²), while Hamel exhibited superiority in stem diameter (5.68 mm), lower lodging index (39.90), and fewer effective tillers (88.10%). Seeding rate effects included increased plant height and total dry mass, with a rise in lodging index. The highest seeding rate (120 kg ha⁻¹) significantly outperformed in tiller count. Conversely, leaf area and effective tiller percentage decreased with higher seeding rates. The 80 kg ha⁻¹ seeding rate showed superiority in relative growth rate. Interaction between factors was significant for total dry mass and lodging index, with Genzania × 120 kg ha⁻¹ performing the best. Cultivars varied in vegetative growth responses to seeding rates.

A field experiment was carried out at the experimental field in the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Iraq from beginning of October 2020 to the end of August 2021. The main objective was to find out the effect of Molybdenum (Mo) concentrations (0, 20, 40 and 60 mg L-1 ) and three stages of foliar application (vegetative growth, flowers buds appearance and 25 % blooming ) on seed yield and it’s component of alfalfa local variety. layout of the experiment was R. C. B. D. arranged in split-plot, with three replicates. Spraying stages were used as main-plots. while Molybdenum concentrations were used as sub-plots. Results revealed that foliar application of Mo at concentration More than 20 mg L-1 (40 and 60 mg L-1) resulted in a significant increment in the No. of florets raceeme-1, No. of pods raceme-1, No. of seeds pod-1, No. of racemes stem1, Biological yield, seed yield and harvest index. Highest seed yield (502.0 k ha1) was obtained when Mo sprayed at level 40 mg L-1.Plants sprayed at flowers buds emergence produces highest seed yield (492.6 k ha-1), No. of pods raceme-1, No of seed pod-1 and No. of racemes stem, which show high positive correlation with seed yield (+ 0.72**,+ 0.49** and +0.49*) respectively. This results may be indicating that these traits could be used as good selection criteria for breeding and improving seed yield in alfalfa. The higher seed yield (567.5 kg ha-1) was obtained when alfalfa plants were sprayed with Mo at concentration 40 mg L-1 in flowers buds emergence.

A comparative study was conducted to detect blood metabolic biomarkers of show and racehorse stallions in Iraq. Five stallions were selected for each, and blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture twice a time, fourteen days apart. Amino, fatty, carboxylic, and non-esterified fatty acids were investigated. Some hematological and biochemical attributes were also studied for show and racing stallions. All essential amino acids (except for threonine), non-essential amino acids (except for glutamine, glycine, and isoleucine), white blood cell (WBCs) count, granulosa (GR) percentage, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were higher (P≤0.05) in racing compared to the show stallions. On the other hand, more significant (P≤0.05) percentages of lymphocytes (LY), platelets (PLT), fatty acids concentrations, acetic acid concentration, and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration were observed for show than racing stallions. In conclusion, some blood metabolites and biomarkers differed between show and racehorse stallions. These are of utmost importance for monitoring the nutritional and metabolic alterations, and accurate decisions could be issued to select them earlier for multipurpose purposes.

This study was aimed to determine the effect of mixed herbs and humic acid supplementation on the physiological status, haematological, and biochemical values of local goats in Indonesia. Twenty-four local goats 7-8 months old, were divided into four groups of six goats each. T0: herbs without humic acid, T1: herbs with 2-gram humic acid/goat T2: herbs and 4-gram humic acid/goat; T3: herbs and 6-gram humic acid/goat. The goats were fed grass and fermented oil palm. The result found that Orthogonal contrasts detect (P< 0.001) a significant influence of humic acid addition on respiration and heart rate, as well as HTC, with the amount of addition varying considerably during the 12.00 observation. There are no alterations in erythrocyte indices, leucocytes increase quantitatively with neutrophils rising significantly in line with the presence of humic acid. Humic acid lowers serum cholesterol while boosting protein levels in the blood. In summary, humic acid impacts physiological and haemato-biochemical parameter of local goats in Indonesia.

This study investigated supplementing dried rosemary leaves to the diet of some semen, as well as blood biochemical traits in Holstein bulls. The eight bulls were divided equally into two groups (4bull/group). Bulls' in the first group were fed a diet without additives (control group). The bulls in the second group were fed a diet supplemented with 250mg rosemary per bull daily for 12 weeks, preceded by a two-week preliminary period. We detected some of the rosemary's active components. The semen was collected and evaluated weekly for 12 weeks. The serum concentrations of glucose, urea, aspartate, and alanine transaminase were determined. The active components analysis of rosemary revealed it contains phenolics (Gallic acid), flavonoids (Luteolin, Quercetin, Rutin, Kaempferol, Tannic acid, and Epicatechine), saponins, and vitamins (A, E, and C). The results revealed higher (P≤0.05) mass activity, motility, live sperm, and normal morphology of sperms in the rosemary group than in the control group. The rosemary group recorded a lower (P≤0.05) semen volume, head sperm and total abnormalities, glucose, and urea than the control group. In conclusion, the active components, especially flavonoids and phenolics in rosemary, may improve insulin sensitivity by testis to take glucose, which somewhat ameliorates the semen quality of Holstein bulls and overcomes some climate change influences on sustainable consumption and production.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different feeding levels (0%, 25%, and 50%) of alfalfa pellet ration (APR) (47% alfalfa) on the main carcass cuts Physico-chemical traits of Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). A total of 270 one-day-old ducklings were used. The birds at seven-day-old were assigned to 9 indoor pens of (2.2×1m) with outdoor and swimming pool (9.8×1m). Each pen represented an indoor replicate with 30 ducklings. The feeding program for Pekin Duck group treatments with (APR) (47% alfalfa) was used as a replacement to the basal diet at different percentages (0%, 25%, and 50%) for control (T0), first (T1) and second (T2) groups, respectively. At the end of the rearing period at 49 days, 6 birds (3male+3female) were randomly selected from each treatment, slaughtered and each breast and thigh muscle were excised for meat quality analysis. The results showed that treatments and sex did not significantly influence meat Cholesterol content, and most results for each of cooking loss, color, pH, chemical composition, and amino acid profile of the meat. In contrast, the treatments and sex had a significant effect on most for each fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins, and fatty acid profiles. In general, feeding ducks with a 25% of APR improved the color of breast, and fat-soluble vitamins with Cholesterol in both breast and thigh muscle while feeding ducks with a 50% APR improved most Physico-chemical traits.

This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of the combination of Leucaena and Indigofera in swamp grass-based rations on the quality or quantity of feed produced. The research was carried out based on a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of four treatments and four replications. The types of forage used include termite Bento grass (Leersia hexandra) from swamp land; legumes Leucaena and Indigofera. The treatments consisted of A = swamp grass and concentrate (70%:30%), B = swamp grass, Leucaena and concentrate (40%:30%:30%), C = swamp grass, Indigofera and concentrate (40%:30%:30%), D = swamp grass, Leucaena, Indigofera and concentrate (40%:15%:15%:30%). The observed variables consisted of dry matter digestibility (DMD), pH, total Volatile Fatty Acid (TVFA), N-ammonia (N-NH3), partial VFA, methane gas, total bacteria and protozoa. The study showed that the combination of tree legumes increased (P<0.05) the digestibility values of DM, TVFA, propionic acid, butyrate and total bacteria, while the levels of N-NH3, acetic acid, acetate-propionate ratio, methane gas, methane gas production and protozoa decreased (P<0.05). Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the combination of tree legumes in the ration can increase digestibility, improve rumen fermentation characteristics and reduce methane gas production.

The current study aimed to study the effects of feeding olive leaves (OL) on milk yield, milk composition, body weight, and blood parameters of lactating Awassi ewes. Thirty-six newly lambed ewes and their single lambs were distributed at random and assigned to one of three diets: 0% OL (CON), 15% OL (OL15), and 30% OL (OL30) to replace the forage source in sheep's diets. The first seven days of the 56-day experiment were dedicated to adaptation, with the remaining 49 days dedicated to the collection of data. Dry matter (DM) intake was greater (p = 0.014) in the OL15 and OL30 groups compared with the CON group. Crude protein and ether extract intake was also the highest in the OL30 group (p=0.0172) followed by the OL15 group and was lowest for the CON group. The consumption of acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber was higher (p < 0.0001) in CON compared to other groups. A decrease (p = 0.0510) in milk production cost was seen in the group-fed diets containing OL. There were no differences in initial body weight in ewes and lambs, while ewes fed on the CON lost more body weight compared with the OL30, while OL15 was intermediate. The average daily gain in lambs was greater in OL15 and OL30 compared to the CON group. In summary, substituting OL for wheat straw did not impact the lactation performance of ewes whilst it decreased the cost of producing milk and may benefit the livestock farmers.

The study was conducted at the Greater Zab River at Aski-Kalak City in three stations during the period from November 2020 to October 2021.The lowest water temperature value was 9.2°C at January while the highest value was 30 °C during July 2021. Salinity values ranged between 0.21 at January to 0.49 g/l during July 2021. Dissolve oxygen was high which range between 12.5 and 5.2 mg/l during December 2020 and July 2021 respectively. A total of 2368 specimens with a total weight of 848.97Kg were collected. These fishes were represented by 28 fish species belong to 7 families.The dominance commercial fishes (15 species) were recorded with a total weight of 775.56 kg formed 91.35% of a total fish catches. While, non – commercial fishes (13 species) were recorded with a total weight of 73.41kg represent 8.65% of total fishes catches. Fish species of Chondrostoma regium were occurred to be dominating of fish number and represented by 11.9% followed by Capoeta trutta (11.8%) and Arabibarbus grypus (11.1%) of total fish caches. Also, fish species of Luciobarbus kersin come at the first of total weight of fish catches and formed 18.15%, then followed by Arabibarbus grypus (16.12%) and Cyprinus carpio (7.95%). Finally, fishes of Alburnu spallidus formed the lowest in fish number within 0.2% and in fish total weight was Garrarufa within 0.01% of total fish catches. Thepresent study concluded that Greater Zab River within freshwater, good airing and a favorable habitat for different fish species, more of that, there was considerable stock of commercial Iraqi fishes.

This study was conducted to detect bovine tuberculosis (TB) in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, using gamma interferon assay (GIA), and determine the prevalence in the governorate. The study was carried out among three groups of cattle: calves aged 6–12 months, heifers 13–24 months, and cows aged above two years. Bovine TB was detected by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the GIA, carried out on 404 cattle within the target population (31173) from different districts around the governorate. A TB prevalence rate of 8.9% was detected. The highest prevalence rate (10.5%) was in the cattle above two years of age, and the lowest rate (2.7%) was recorded in 6–12 months old calves, while the rate was 9.5% in the 13–24 month-old cattle. The results revealed that the highest positive rate (15.2%) was in Bakrajo, and the lowest rate (3.2%) was in Chwarta. The blood samples of the infected and uninfected cattle were examined for some blood parameters such as hematocrit, total and differential leukocyte counts, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). There was a decrease in the hematocrit and leukocyte counts and an increase in ESR in infected animals. We conclude that TB is still endemic in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, and the GIA should be used instead of other standard tests for diagnosing bovine tuberculosis.

The present study was carried out to investigate immunopathological effect of foot and mouth disease vaccine against nosocomial infections, to achieve this goal different samples obtained from urine of hospitalized patient, the isolated bacteria were identified by cultural examination, biochemical tests PCR. Twenty-four mice were divided equally into three groups. The 1st group 8 mice were immunized I/M with 0.1 ml of FMD vaccine, two dose with 14 days intervals, 2nd group 8 mice was inoculated I/P with 0.5 from 3x108 CFU/ml while 3rd group was inoculated 0.2 ml of phosphate buffer saline and served as control negative. At 27-30 days post immunization, cellular immune response was done by DTH and 3 mice from each mentioned groups were sacrificed for measuring IgG titer then all the remained animals were injected I/P with 0.5 ml from infections dose3x108 CFU/ml. Post mortem examination was made at 3 days post infections and specimen of liver, kidney, lung and spleen were fixed with 10 % formalin for histopathological study. The result of skin test showed that the mean values of skin thickness against FMD vaccine at 24 hr. was 3.47 mm then increase to 4.66 at 48 hr. The result expressed high value of AB titer against FMD vaccine 2778.66 compared with control group recorded heavy bacterial growth recorded in the infected group with sever histological lesion characterized by suppurative granuloma in liver with lymphoid depletion in splenic tissue together with renal tubules degeneration while the main histopathogical findings of immunized groups revealed multiple MNCs infiltration with mature granuloma in liver and lung together with mild or absent bacterial growth. The result concluded that FMD vaccine reduce the infection in the immunized mice and enhance protective immune response against experimental murine bacterial infection.

This study was aimed to conduct one of the vertical garden systems , selecting suitable plant species that with stand the climate conditions of Baghdad city in outer space to determine the appropriate growing medium for the (LWS), and to assess the impact of spraying with potassium silicate on the resistance of the cultivated plants to heat stresses . The study carried out at at Al-Batool Park of (Al-Kadhimiya Holy City). Two experiments were carried out, each one with a different plant species, including Wedelia trilobata and Tradescantia pallida, during the winter season of 2021 and summer season of 2022. The experiments were designed using a split block design. The experiments included two factors, the first being the growing medium, peatmoss + Perlite (50:50%) (M1), Vermicompost + Perlite (50:50%) (M2), Water hyacinth Compost + Perlite (50:50%) (M3), and Wheat Straw Compost + Perlite (50:50%) (M4). The second factor included spraying shoots with three levels of potassium silicate, (S), which were 0 ml/L (S0), 1.5 ml/L (S1), and 3 ml/L (S2). The results showed that using media M2, M3, and S2, as well as the interaction between them, was superior effect on the vegetative characteristics of the two plants. These treatments were successful in cultivating plants in (LWS) and covering the panels planted in it.

This study was aimed to demonstrate effect of adding some Bio-fertilizers,Nile flower peat fertilizer and spraying with its extract on growth and yield of potato, Tow field experiment at spring and fall season2022 was carried out Horticulture Development Station in the kut district of the Directorate of Agriculture ofWasit Governorate The experiment was implemented using factorial arrangement (4×3×2) within randomized complete block design with three replicates, The First factor included the addition of biofertilizers (M) ,which is M0-without adding , M1- added the Mycorrhizae in an amount of 25 g tuber-1 , M2- added the Trichoderma of 4 gtuber-1 and M3- added Mycorrhizae and Trichoderma fungi together, The second factor included the addition of Nile flower peat fertilizer (N), which is N0- without adding , N1- added 15 mg ha-1 and N2- added 30 mg ha-1 , the third factor included spraying with Nile flower peat fertilizer extract (E), spraying with distilled water(E0) and spraying with extract 2 ml L-1 (E1), The results of the statistical analysis showed the significant increase of biofertilizers in vegetative and yield characteristics as number of aerial stems, leaf area ,leaves chlorophyll content, number of tuber , total yield and percent of carbohydrates in the tubers compared with control (M0(, M3 treatment produced greatest value of this characteristics which reached4.911 ,4.714 stem plant-1, 183.0 ,167.1 dm2plant-1, 198.3,240.8 mg 100g-1, 10.56 , 6.977 tuber plant-1, 57.78, 43.95 Mgha-1 and 18.64 ,19.26%for spring and fall seasons respectively. Organic fertilizer showed significant increase in the above characteristics, N2treatmentproduced greatest value which reached 4.837 ,4.554 stem plant-1, 187.9 ,170.6 dm2plant-1 ,203.3, 244.3mg 100g-1, 11.01 , 7.229 tuber plant-1, 61.61 , 46.42 Mgha-1and 18.53 , 19.55%for spring and fall seasons respectively.

This study was aimed to investigate response of two sweet corn hybrids to bacterial biofertilizers and spraying with Mg+2 and Ca+2 and their impact on the yield during fall season 2021 and spring season 2022, CASH seeds (H1) and ROI SOLEIL seeds (H2) were planted in pots, when they reached 2-3 leaves treated with four treatments which included without biofertilizer (B0), with Azospirillum brasilense (B1) with Pseudomonas fluorescens (B2) and the interaction with Azospirillum brasilense and Pseudomonas fluorescens (B3) then transferd to the field, and sprayed the seedling which included without spraying (N0), spraying with Mg++ and Ca++ with concentration of 25 mg L-1 (N1) and 50 mg L-1 each elements (N2), The experiment was carried out according to RCBD with in split plot arrangement. The results showed that the H1 hybrid had significant response in number of days to tasseling and silking of 50% of plants, the diameter of ear, number of rows.ear-1, The H2 hybrid had a significant response in the ear length for two seasons, B3 and N2 had significant impact to all the studied traits for two seasons. H1B3N2 had significant impact in number of days to tasseling and silking of 50% of plants, the ear diameter and number of rows.ear-1, H2B3N2 had significant impact to the length of the ear for the two seasons respectively

This study was aimed to investigate a comprehensive methodology and its ensuing results for identifying potential sites for wind power plants (WPPs) and solar photovoltaic plants (SPVPs) across Tunisia, a crucial step given the significant long-term investment these plants entail. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integrated with Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) and underpinned by the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), this research meticulously weighs and maps various site-specific criteria essential for site suitability assessment. The results indicate that approximately 1183 km² (1.8% of Tunisia's total area) and 2533 km² (3.7%) are optimally suited for large-scale SPVPs and WPPs, respectively. the prime locations for wind energy are predominantly in the northwest, southwest, southeast, and parts of the north, while the central and southern regions harbor the most potential for solar energy development due to favorable solar irradiance.

Bacterial vaginosis, also known as BV, is a condition that is frequently associated with vaginal inflammation and can be caused by changes in the bacterial composition of the vaginal microbiome. It is the most common vaginal infection among women of reproductive age. The goal of this study is to determine the antibiotic resistance and the role of some virulence genes of E. coli isolates in the vaginosis of non-pregnant women (16–45 years old) as well as the stool of the same patient. A total of 160 samples were collected (130 vaginal swab samples and 30 samples from the stool). All isolates have been identified by MacConkey and Eosin methylene blue media, biochemical tests, and PCR detection of the UidA gene. Just 50 isolates were diagnosed and confirmed as E. coli bacteria. Resistance to piperacillin was most frequently observed in 31 isolates (62%), followed by cefuroxime and cefixime in 28 isolates (56%). The polymerase chain reaction was used to detect virulence genes (FimH and IutA), and the results showed that both genes were present in 94% and 97% respectively of the isolates.

The study's goals are to use pyocyanin pigment produced by the clinical isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a reducing and stabilizing agent for nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) and their use it antibacterial agents against biofilm-producing, multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from various clinical sources. The antibiotic susceptibility test of E. Coli isolates was shown to be resistant to ceftriaxone, cotrimoxazole, piperacillin-triazole, tetracycline, and ticarcillin, while sensitive to Amikacin, Amoxicillin, Nitrofurantoin, and Imipenem. NiO NPs are synthesized by using nickel sulfate NiSO4 (10g) with a concentration of pyocyanin (10mg/10ml). The NiO NPs synthesized were characterized by various techniques such as AFM, UV-VIS, and FTIR. The result showed that the wavelength of NiO was 211nm and the average diameter of NiO was 63.59 nm, and the concentration of NiO NPs was 0.5 mg/ml, showing that the maximum inhibition zones of E.coli were 22 mm. Biosynthesis of NiO NPs using pyocyanin was shown to have promising activity as an antibacterial against the biofilm-producing E. coli.

This study aimed to investigate the expression level of microRNA-20a in plasma samples collected from 20 healthy males and 20 healthy females' as non-cancerous controls, 34 males and 26 females who diagnosed with CRC, the age range for both poles was at age range of 23 to 66 years old, those patients didn’t receive any chemical, radiological or surgical treatment and subjected to relative quantitative detection using RT-PCR technique. Specific primers designed for this purpose, the sequence of miR-20a retrieved from NCBI and miRBASE, the primers designed using stem-loop structure method, RNU-43 reference gene used for results normalization. The resulted data analyzed using the Livak method, the folding mean of CRC patients (12.78) was higher than the folding level of non-cancerous controls (1.6909), 28 patients were had higher folding levels than the mean of the controls while 32 patients were below the non-cancerous controls folding mean. Among 60 patients, 22 samples were had expression levels less than 1 folding level, 11 samples had expression levels less than 2 folding levels, 12 samples quantified folding less than 5 folding levels, 8 samples were less than 20 folding levels, and 7 samples with higher 20 folding level, such results indicated that the expression level of microRNA-20a is changed and dose not remain consistent in colorectal cancer patients, with varied quantified results due to different factors. No considerable statistical relevance to age and gender was revealed since P values were greater than 0.05 level in Students-t-test and ANOVA test.

The compost product enhances soil quality, lowers erosion, and aids in the reduction of plant diseases without having a negative influence on the environment. The possibility for compost recovery from organic waste, fruit waste, agricultural residues, domestic garbage, and animal manure was examined in this study. These wastes are composted in a five-week aerobic -pile composting process. The temperature, pH, moisture, electrical conductivity, carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N-ratio), nitrification index (NH4-N/NO3-N), and NPK (Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium( value of the finished compost were all measured both during and after the composting process. These physio-chemical characteristics and parameters that affected the composting process included temp., pH, moisture, and electrical conductivity.The results revealed long - term negative impacts characteristics for moisture content, electrical conductivity (reached 1.5-2.34 dS/cm), total organic carbon, C/N ratio (reached 17.3-13.5), and increase in nitrogen content per unit material for the more, with composting time the nitrification index NH4+/NO3-ratio decreased by less than 0.5, as with overall increasing PH profiles. pH-value varying from (4–8) during the composting process, and GI values greater than 90 at the conclusion of the composting period. The bio-pile R3 was found to be the most helpful for composting, according to the data. It maintained the highest temperature for the longest period of time (52–60 oC), then gradually dropped to ambient temperature, which is seen as a sign that the composting process had ended and the finished compost was a mature and stable product.

The corn leaf aphid is a major pest causes damage to a range of cultivated crops. Little is known about the population genetics of the species. In this experiment, we examined the population genetic structure of the Rhopalosiphum maidis based on nucleotide sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene and microsatellite analysis. Thirteen microsatellite markers developed for related aphid species were tested for use with R. maidis. Nine loci were found to amplify in R. maidis. Of these, seven were polymorphic. Nucleotide sequencing showed low variation, with one haplotype dominating in the regions sampled and four other haplotypes, differing by only a single base, occurring at a low frequency. Microsatellites confirmed low levels of diversity, but also showed moderate levels of population structure over local geographic scales, although this structure was not a result of isolation by distance. Over broader geographic scales, cluster analysis showed that populations from all U.S. states and China were almost indistinguishable and population assignment revealed that only 30% of individuals sampled could be correctly assigned to the population from which they were collected. Populations collected from Sorghum bicolor and Sorghum halepense could not be discriminated, indicating that S. halepense may act as a reservoir for the aphid during times when sorghum is not cultivated. The close similarity between individuals from China and the U.S. suggests that the lack of variation in the species may be explained by the parthenogenetic mode of reproduction, where males are seldom found.

Climate is an important factor in the development of plant diseases. to be able to avoid yield loss due to disease explosion, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth study of climatic factors as a direct and indirect influence. one that can be done is weather data-based forecasting. This method can determine and estimate the likelihood of disease outbreaks in a certain period. In addition, disease forecasting can act as prevention due to pathogen attacks so as to avoid damage and yield loss and maintain the ecosystem of antagonistic fungi in the coffee ecosystem. Agro ecosystem management can encourage the development of antagonistic fungi as pathogen biological agents. Akanthomyces sp. species are widely reported as entomopathogenic fungi. In Indonesia, Akanthomyces sp. was found to be associated with Arabica coffee leaf rust disease. This study was conducted in seven coffee plantation locations in Kalibening District, Banjarnegara Regency, Indonesia. This study detected environmental factors affecting the development of Hemileia vastatrix, predicted its population and determined the antagonistic fungus associated with H. vastatrix, namely Akanthomyces sp. TBK2, by molecular detection.

This study was aimed to obtain morphometric parameters of Duhok watershed evaluated through three aspects. The area was located at Duhok governorate with covers 394.87Km2. Depending on stream orders, ten of sub-watersheds were extracted from the main watershed. Furthermore, Duhok watershed stream orders ranged from 1 to 6, as well as the total number of segmented stream reported for the total number of orders was (4175). The results of the current study indicate the Duhok watershed has a high relief ratio (0.026 m/km) and relative relief (0.95) which refers to steep slopes and excessive runoff. The ruggedness value is (4.09) indicates the study region is rugged with high density of streams also the low value of hypsometric integral (0.37) indicates the mature stage of watershed age. However, the watershed's flatter flow regime and elongated shape are confirmed by the values of form factor (0.23), elongation ratio (0.54), and circulation ratio (0.40). The watershed mean bifurcation ratio is 4.13, indicating significant structural disruption, while the value of stream frequency (10.69 streams/km2) suggests dense surface runoff and steeper topography. a very fine drainage texture (37.66) which leads to a higher risk of erosion. The findings of this study will be valuable in watershed management, water resources and protecting the environment in the future.

The research aims to enhance farmers' access to agricultural credit by identifying the most important economic and social characteristics affecting the demand for agricultural loans. Farmers need agricultural credit as a source of financing due to their weak financial capabilities، and that farmers’ lack of access to credit may negatively affect the achievement of the level of production that maximizes profit or allow farmers to apply and use modern technologies or develop existing agricultural projects. Cross-sectional data were collected for a random sample of (275) farmers in Baghdad governorate. The Logit model was used to determine the most important factors affecting agricultural loans، which include gender، age، educational level، farm size، experience، and type of tenure، in addition to statistical description and correlation analysis، using The statistical program (EViews10), The results showed that years of experience، farm size، gender، and age have a positive and significant effect، while the educational level has a negative and significant impact، as the higher the educational level of farmers، the greater their ability to obtain employment outside the agricultural sector، such as business in government jobs. or trade and others، while the impact of the type of tenure was weak، and thus the research recommends the need to develop a credit policy that takes into account the studied characteristics of farmers and enhance their capabilities through guidance and training in addition to supporting women farmers .

This study was aimed to investigate data homogeneity, detect trend and changes in historical rainfall and forecast future rainfall pattern. Rainfall historical records taken from 22 gauging and non-gauging stations distributed all over Duhok governorate. The dataset includes long time series of monthly and annual rainfall totals (mm) from 1998 to 2020. To detect data variability, four different homogeneity tests were used. To analyze trends and sequential shifts in historical data, parametric and non-parametric tests were applied. Theil-Sen's slope estimator test was applied to calculate the magnitude of change over time. Rainfall forecasting was based on the Box-Jenkins methodology. The homogeneity test results revealed that the majority of the monthly and annual rainfall series were labeled as useful. Furthermore, the annual rainfall at most of the study stations presented positive trend with sen’s slope ranged between 0.545 -43.03 mm yr-1. At five stations tended to beyond the upper limit of the CUSUM chart during 2019 and 2020. Conversely, it tended to be below the lower limit at 3 stations during the period from 2000 t0 2002. ARIMA (0, 1,1) was the best model for predicting yearly rainfall for 75% of the stations, while the model (1,1,1)(1, 0, 1)12 was the best suited model for predicting and forecasting monthly rainfall for more than 83% of the selected stations.

This study was aimed to possibility of applying three constructed wetlands units (based on the vertical subsurface flow mode-operation) for treating of simulated wastewater contained cadmium ions. Iraqi sand was the substrate used for packing of mentioned units; however, Canna indica and Typha domingensis can be planted in any two units to improve of cadmium removal while the last one remains free of vegetation. The pH, DO, temperature, and Cd values were monitored in the effluents for detention time (0.5-120 h) and metal concentration (5-40 mgl-1) to estimate the performance of units. Results proved that the removal of cadmium ions can increase significantly for longer contact time and lower Cd concentration with percentage exceeding 82% beyond 5 days. Outputs of FT-IR analysis signified the presence of several functional groups that able to improve the removal process. The values of pH, DO, temperature, TDS, and EC for treated wastewater are satisfied the requirements of irrigation water.

This research aimed to study the impact of the reciprocal cross and heterosis phenomena on numerous tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) characteristics. Fifty-one different traits were measured, including leaf, shoot, root, flower, fruit, yield and yield components, and physiochemical characteristics. The results showed that reciprocal crosses, such as plant mass, petal length, cone length, pistil length, fruit width, fruit length, single fruit weight, fruit flesh weight, seed and placenta weight, number of fruits locules, fruit calyx weight, number of days to flower, total sugar, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin, and total phenolic concentration, significantly influenced various traits. In addition, the results showed that several traits showed positive high parent heterosis, which are the sepal length, pistil length, flower fresh weight, flower dry weight, flower moisture content, number of clusters per plant, number of flowers per plant, number of flowers per cluster, number of fruits per cluster, fruits number per plant, total fruits weight per plant, leaf length, leaf fresh weight, leaf dry weight, number of branches per plant, plant height, plant mass, ascorbic acid, total carotene, and anthocyanin. These results will be significantly helpful for the future breeding program, especially for developing F1 cultivars with significant quality and quantity.

This study aimed to assess the nutritional value, phytochemical composition, and antioxidant activity of Kappaphycus alvarezii cultivated in Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems. The parameters were nutritional components, phytochemical content, and aAntioxidant activity. K. alvarezii exhibited substantial nutritional value, with notable protein (15.3%) and carbohydrate (60.0%) content, along with essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Phytochemical analysis revealed significant levels of polyphenols (20.0 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (5.5 mg QE/g), and tannins (3.0 mg CE/g), as well as noteworthy saponin (1.2%) and alkaloid (0.9%) contents. Antioxidant assays demonstrated strong activities, with 80.2% DPPH and 70.5% ABTS radical scavenging, a FRAP value of 600 µmol Fe2+/g, and a total antioxidant capacity of 150 mg AA/g. The findings indicate that K. alvarezii from IMTA systems is a valuable source of nutrients and bioactive compounds with significant antioxidant properties.

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of aqueous Aloe vera on susceptibility to root fracture resistance (RFR) in human teeth subjected to endodontic preparation, and compare it with chemical irrigants (sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and SmearOFF). A total of 40 human maxillary first molars that were extracted and had a straight palatal root. These roots were distributed randomly based on the irrigation regimes (n=8): G1: Distilled water; G2: 3% NaOCl; G3: 3% NaOCl + 17% EDTA; G4: Smearoff; and G5: 90% Aloe vera, and then endodontically prepared using the ProTaper Next rotary system. The samples were placed within acrylic molds using periodontal simulation and exposed to compressive forces at a rate of 0.5 mm/min until fracture was noted. The specimens undergo axial forces on a universal testing machine during mechanical compression testing. The force necessary for fracture was measured and recorded in Newton (N). The results showed that the mean fracture resistance of Aloe vera group was the highest while NaOCl group was the lowest. It can be concluded that, the fracture resistance was significantly different in various irrigation protocols.

The current study focused on producing gelatin from ostrich bone and analyzing its chemical composition. It also studied the physical, chemical, and functional properties. The results indicated that gelatin contained protein, ash, and moisture in percentages of 82.13%, 3.32%, and 14.54%, respectively. Additionally, the gelatin had a high concentration of amino acids, as determined by amino acid analysis. The functional properties of the gelatin were identified using FTIR spectroscopy. The gelatin exhibited a gel strength of 259 g, which falls within the higher gel strength range of 200-300g. Furthermore, gelatin displayed positive values for dl (lighter/darker), da (redder/greener), and db (yellower/bluer). This indicated it had a lighter, redder, and yellower color. It has a pH value of 4.01, while its water holding capacity amounted to 15.24 mL/g, and its solubility was high, as it was 85.22%. Also, the prepared gelatin possessed other functional properties, such as foaming and emulsion capacity. So, it was (87.66, 53.21) %, respectively. Oil binding capacity amounted to 2.65 ml/gm, enabling it to use this gelatin to manufacture various food products to improve functions and develop food good sensory (smell, taste, color, texture, and general acceptance), so the candy evaluation score was very acceptable, as it got scores from (80-100).