IRAQ JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

A field experiment was conducted in Al-Dawar area of Ramadi district - Anbar Governorate - western Iraq in a Gypsiferous soil with a sandy clay loam texture during the fall season of 2023, to study the effect of adding polymer and moisture depletion on some Hydraulic standards of Gypsiferous soil and cauliflower productivity. The polymer was added by mixing based on the weight of the soil at addition rates of 0.2, 0.4% and irrigation was carried out at depletion rates of 30, 40, 50% of the water available for the plant. The experimental treatments were distributed according to a complete randomized block design in the order of split plots and with three replicates. The cauliflower crop, Nahar variety, was planted on 8/10/2023. The American evaporation Pan, class A, was used in the irrigation schedule. The saturated Hydraulic conductivity, Basic Infiltration Rate, water consumption, Application efficiency, and water use efficiency were calculated.
The study showed that the addition level of 0.4% polymer gave the best values for Application efficiency and water use efficiency, reaching 95.27% and 62.64 kg.m-3 respectively, while the lowest values were for the averages of saturated Hydraulic conductivity and Basic Infiltration Rate at the same addition level, recording 9.57 and 9.17 cm.h-1 respectively. Water consumption reached 46.92, 43.71 and 40.15 cm season-1 at depletion rates of 30, 40 and 50% of the available water respectively. The irrigation treatment at depletion of 30% of the available water gave the best values for saturated Hydraulic conductivity, Basic Infiltration Rate, Application efficiency, and water use efficiency, reaching 12.07 and 11.53 cm.h-1 and 94.26% and 58.95 kg.m-3 respectively.

A tissue culture technique was used to micropropagation the rosemary plant Rosmarinus officinalis L. by initiating callus generation, formation and maintenance from single node parts. The experiments included the use of two types of sterilization, mercuric chloride (HgCl2) at a concentration of (0.1 and 0.06%) and a sterilization period of (15 and 10) minutes and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) at a concentration of (10%) and a sterilization period of (10 and 15) minutes and planted in MS nutrient medium. The effect of adding BA and Kin at a concentrations of (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0) mg.L-1 on callus initiation was also studied. The effect of the interaction between BA at a concentrations (1.0) mg.L-1 and Kin at concentration (2.0) mg.L-1 + (1.5, 2.0) mg.L-1 2,4-D was tested in replanting and maintaining callus. The results showed that the type of material used in sterilization has a significant effect in reducing the percentage of contamination of ex plant grown in vitro. The use of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) at a concentration of (10%) v\v for 15 minutes, was effective in reducing the percentage of contamination to the lowest level, as the percentage of survival in the planted and sterilized plant part reached this material 85%. The results showed that the highest percentage and fresh weight rate for callus induction value reached 80% and 4.56g in the medium supported with a concentration of (1.0) mg.L-1 BA, while the response rate and fresh weight rate achieved a value of 60% and 3.82g in the medium supplied with a concentration of 2.0 mg.L-1 Kin while the comparison treatment did not record any fresh weight rate for the induction callus. As for the effect of the interaction of the nutritional medium provided with a concentration of (1.0) mg.L-1 BA+ (2.0) mg.L-1 2,4-D the highest fresh weight was recorded reaching7.35g which was significantly superior to the interaction between the treatment between (2.0) mg.L-1 Kin+ (2.0) mg.L-1 2,4-D with an average fresh weight of 5.37g respectively.

Two field experiments were conducted during the fall season of 2023 in the fields of the College of Agriculture, Tikrit University, on two soils differing in their gypsum content. The first site experiment, G1, with a gypsum content of 5%, included the following factors:
- Factor 1: Strip tillage depth (8 cm, 15 cm, 30 cm), represented as (T1, T2, T3), respectively.
- Factor 2: Type of organic material (vermicompost, plant compost), represented as (O1, O2), respectively.
- Factor 3: Nitrogen levels (160, 240, 320 kg N ha⁻¹), represented as (N1, N2, N3), respectively.
The second site experiment, G2, with a gypsum content of 15%, included the following factors:
- Factor 1: Tillage type (no-tillage, strip tillage at 8 cm depth, reduced tillage), represented as (T0, T1, T2), respectively.
- Factor 2: Type of organic material (vermicompost, plant compost), represented as (O1, O2), respectively.
- Factor 3: Nitrogen levels (160, 240, 320 kg N ha⁻¹), represented as (N1, N2, N3), respectively.
The study results revealed the following:
The T2O1N3 treatment in the first site showed significant superiority in terms of absolute growth rate and yield. Comparing the results of the two experiments, it was noted that the experiment with 5% gypsum content demonstrated significant superiority over the experiment with 15% gypsum content for all measured traits.

This study was conducted in a number of extension centers in the governorates of Iraq (Anbar, Baghdad, Babil, Al-diwaniyah, Dhiqar, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din, and Wasit) with the aim of spraying nano- and regular urea and fungicide Zoxis 250 g / L at the stage of physiological maturity to prevent the fungus Aspergillus flavus from producing aflatoxin B1 and Reducing it, as the results showed the efficiency of nano-urea in reducing the moisture content, as it reached 22.37% (before storage) and 8.29% (after storage), compared to distilled water, which gave the highest moisture content in grains, reaching 35.51% before storage and 15.75% (after storage). The results showed that nanourea achieved high efficiency in reducing aflatoxin in Salah al-Din Governorate, reaching 99.39 parts per billion, while Anbar Governorate recorded the lowest aflatoxin reduction rate, reaching 90.36 parts per million. The fungicide and regular urea treatments also achieved clear significant differences compared to the control treatment, with a lower reduction percentage compared to the nuclear urea treatment.

The study was conducted to evaluate the addition of the disc blade in two forms, which was made to the underground plow in February for the spring season of the year 2024. The experiment was conducted in two locations: the first in the southeast of Baghdad Governorate in Al-Mada’in District / Al-Ja’ara village and (the second) in the north of Baghdad Governorate in Al-Rashidiya District / Victory Village The study included the shape of the blades used and three levels without a blade: a locally manufactured smooth blade, a locally manufactured sectional blade, two levels of clay and clay mixture soil texture, and two levels of plowing depths of 35 and 45 cm, and the effect of this on field indicators, including the traction capacity, the depth achieved, the area raised, and the specific resistance to traction. The experiment was carried out. According to a randomized block design Complete (RCBD) with split plate system - split. Duncan's multiple range test was used at the probability level (0.05) to test the significance of the differences between the means of the different treatments. The two experimental sites were land cultivated for previous seasons, and the experimental field area in both sites was 2500 m2. The topography of the two sites was aracterized by flat surfaces and different soil textures. The results showed the superiority of the clay mixture soil texture by recording the lowest value for each of the indicators of traction capacity and specific resistance to traction compared to the clay soil texture. The results showed that the first depth of 35 cm had a significant impact as it gave the lowest value for the traction capacity index while the second depth of 45 cm gave the highest value for each of the depths. The achieved area, the area raised, and the lowest value of the specific drag resistance index. The results concluded that the use of the locally manufactured sectioned disc blade recorded the lowest value for both the indicators of pulling capacity and specific resistance to drag, while the highest value was recorded for both the indicators of depth achieved and the area raised compared to the use of the plow without a blade or the smooth disc blade manufactured locally. While the results of the interaction of soil texture and plowing depth showed a significant effect on the character of the traction capacity, the lowest value was recorded when the binary overlap between the texture of the clay mixture soil and the first depth of 35 cm. The interaction of the soil texture and the shape of the blade recorded a significant effect on both the traction capacity, the depth achieved, and the area of the soil stirred, and it was recorded as the best. Values for the traction capacity, the aroused area, and the depth achieved when the two intersect between the texture of the clay mixture soil. And use a disc-cut blade The results of the three-way interaction between soil texture, plowing depth, and blade shape also showed a significant effect on the character of the area raised, and the lowest value was recorded when the two-way interaction between the texture of the clay mixture soil, the second depth of 45 cm, and the use of a locally manufactured disc-cut blade.

The study aimed to investigate the impact of different levels of taurine acid on the productive characteristics of laying hens. The experiment took place in a laying hen breeding hall with a cage system, which is part of the animal field at the Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture, Al-Anbar University. The duration of the experiment was 12 weeks, divided into three periods of 28 days each. A total of 90 ISA Brown laying hens, aged 15 weeks, were used in the study. The hens were assigned to five treatments, with six duplicates per treatment, resulting in 18 hens per duplicate. The treatments were as follows: The first treatment control (T1) contains no additives. In contrast, the second treatment (T2) includes 400 milligrams of taurine per kilogram of feed, the third treatment (T3) adds 600 milligrams of taurine per kilogram of feed, the fourth treatment (T4) adds 800 milligrams of taurine per kilogram of feed, and the fifth treatment (T5) incorporates 300 milligrams of vitamin C per kilogram of feed into the mixture. The results indicated a significant decline (P≤0.05) in the egg production rate, as measured by HH%, and in the cumulative number of eggs based on HH% during the third transaction (T3) when compared to the control transaction and other transactions. Additionally, there was a noticeable decrease in egg weight during the third period in T4 compared to the control group. The results demonstrated a significant decline (P≤0.05) in egg size during the third period for the T3 treatment when compared to the control group and other treatments. Additionally, there was a notable decrease (P≤0.05) in the food conversion coefficient (grams of food per egg) during the third period for T3 in comparison with the control and other treatments. Based on this study, we conclude that taurine did not affect the productive characteristics of laying hens

This study aimed to examine the effect of combining rosemary and lemongrass extracts at various levels into minced meat patties derived from aged laying hens. The patties were subsequently stored at a refrigeration temperature of 4°C for 14 days. The study was executed at the Central Laboratory of the College of Agriculture, University of Anbar, between May 21, 2024, and July 7, 2024. The experimental design included eight treatment groups, each replicated three times. Each treatment consisted of nine meat patties. The treatments for the chicken meat patties were as follows: 1. The first treatment (T1) served as the control and consisted of chicken meat patties without any additives. 2. The second treatment (T2) included potassium nitrite at a concentration of 0.06% of the meat patties. 3. The third treatment (T3) and the fourth treatment (T4) incorporated lemongrass extract at concentrations of 0.25% and 0.50%, respectively, of the meat patties. 4. The fifth treatment (T5) and the sixth treatment (T6) included rosemary extract at concentrations of 0.25% and 0.50%, respectively, of the meat patties. 5. The seventh treatment (T7) and the eighth treatment (T8) contained a combination of lemongrass and rosemary extracts at concentrations of 0.125% and 0.250% for each extract, respectively, of the meat patties. The Malondialdehyde (MDA) assay showed a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in all experimental treatments compared to the control group. Notably, MDA levels decreased markedly on the first day of assessment in relation to the subsequent experimental periods. In contrast, the concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA) significantly declined (P < 0.05) in treatments T4, T7, and T8 compared to other experimental treatments. Additionally, FFA levels showed a significant reduction (P >0.05) on the initial day of storage compared to later intervals. Peroxide values also significantly decreased (P > 0.05) in treatments T4 and T8 in relation to other experimental treatments, with a notable reduction (P > 0.05) observed on the first day compared to the remaining storage days. The findings indicated that treatments T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8 resulted in lower bacterial counts (P > 0.05) compared to the control and T2 treatments. Furthermore, the initial day of storage recorded the lowest bacterial count, which was significantly lower (P > 0.05) than those observed in subsequent periods. The incorporation of rosemary and lemongrass extracts, whether used individually or in combination, significantly enhanced the quality of minced chicken meat patties by effectively reducing oxidation rates and bacterial counts. These extracts represent promising alternatives to conventional chemical preservatives, such as potassium nitrite, particularly in meat preservation methodologies.

The research aims to identify the economic efficiency and its components, namely technical and allocative efficiency, of broiler chicken production projects in Anbar Province for the 2023 production season using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. Data was collected from a random sample of 50 broiler chicken farms distributed across the province through personal interviews. By employing the DEA model and applying the input-oriented approach under constant and variable returns to scale, the technical efficiency was calculated, while the input-oriented approach under variable returns to scale was used to calculate allocative e efficiency (allocation) and economic efficiency. The research results indicate that the average rates of technical efficiency, allocative efficiency, and economic efficiency at the sample level were 86%, 79.02%, and 69%, respectively. The results also showed that technical efficiency and allocative efficiency were positively correlated with most of the production resources involved in the broiler chicken production process, while economic efficiency was inversely related. There was an excess in the number of chicks, feed quantities, and the amount of medicines and vaccines compared to the quantities required to achieve economic efficiency, as well as a relative wastage in the labor factor. Accordingly, the research recommended supporting and providing key resources such as chicks, feed, and medicines/vaccines as they are the most critical resources, and easing the restrictions imposed on broiler chicken production in the province.

ABSTRACT
The research aims to study the nature of demand for production resources and determine the possibility of substituting production factors using other cost elasticities, such as estimating Morishima and Allen-Uzawa substitution elasticities through the transcendental cost function. The SURE model was used to estimate costs and provide accurate elasticity estimates for analyzing the demand behavior of production elements. The transcendental cost function was applied with the help of the (Eviews12) program. The results showed that the relationship between agricultural inputs is variable; for instance, the relationship between labor and agricultural mechanization was complementary, while the relationship between fertilizers and agricultural area was substitution. The results also indicated that substitution elasticities between inputs vary, as the elasticity of substitution between fertilizers and agricultural mechanization reached 0.6, suggesting the possibility of partial substitution. The study recommended enhancing substitution relationships between production elements. Given the flexibility of substitution among production elements, it is important to strengthen coordination between different sectors such as fertilizers, mechanization, and labor, as increasing investment in one of these elements may necessitate increasing other resources to achieve optimal production.

Achemical analysis was performed to identify the active compounds in the powder and extracts derived from the fruits of Prosopis. fractal. Additionally, the study investigated the effects of both the powder and extracts of P. fractal on the Aeromonas. hydrophila bacteria. The results demonstrated that the powder was more effective than both the alcoholic and aqueous extracts, exhibiting the highest antibacterial activity. Specifically, the inhibition zones measured 20.25 mm for both 50% and 100% concentrations of P. fractal powder. In comparison, the alcoholic extract recorded inhibition zones of 16.8 mm and 20.8 mm, while the aqueous extract showed zones of 10.4 mm and 11.9 mm. additionally, the antibiotic displayed an inhibitory activity of 30 mm against A. hydrophila. The results indicated that the bacteria displayed sensitivity to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, which had an inhibition zone diameter of 33.3 mm. This was followed by doxycycline, with an inhibition zone diameter of 20.5 mm, and trimethoprim, which had an inhibition zone diameter of 10 mm. Conversely, the bacteria were resistant to the antibiotic ampicillin, which showed no inhibitory activity. Additionally, the analysis revealed the presence of several active compounds, including flavonoids, phenols, saponins, resins, tannins, and alkaloids. The abundance of these compounds ranged from medium to high, depending on the type of material, whether it was in powder or extract form.

The experiments were conducted in the apiaries of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering in Al-Jadriyah area during the period from 28/2/2019 to 23/5/2019 . The first location was 500 meters, the second was 150 meters from the telecommunication tower, and the third transaction was placed directly under the tower. The height of the tower was 30m and the amount of radiation emitted from it was 925 MHZ, the results of the internal activity, which measured the queen’s activity in laying eggs, showed that the highest rate of activity was in the first and second treatments, with averages of (292.75 inches2), (274.58 inches2) Respectively, while the lowest rate was recorded in a transaction directly under the communications tower (151.33 inches2). The highest density rate of bees was recorded in the first treatment with an average of (5.19 frames.cell-1) and the lowest rate was for the third treatment (3.57 frames.cell-1). The results of the external activity of the foraging workers recorded the first treatment as the highest average (605.0 bees.hr-1) followed by the second treatment at an average (515.8 bees.hr-1) while the third treatment recorded the lowest average for the foraging bees (382.9 bees/hr.). The triple overlap between the site, the time, and the date recorded the second treatment as the highest rate (1610 bees.hr-1) for the evening time, followed by the first treatment at the rate of (1580.0 bees.hr-1) in the morning. The third treatment recorded the lowest average for the foraging bees (278.0 bees.hr-1). The effect of the radiation emitted by the tower on the ability of bees in the metabolism showed no significant differences between the rates (wet weight, dry weight, protein ratio, fat percentage). The results of the analysis showed significant differences in carbohydrate levels (32.92%, 30.60%, and 29.74%) for the second, third, and first treatments, respectively. The ash content showed significant differences between the treatments, the first treatment recorded the highest rate (1.950%) The lowest rate was in the treatment under the tower (1.220%). It could be concluded that communication towers hurt the activities of the honey bee, Apis mellifera.

This study evaluated the impact of different rearing systems on some blood biochemical parameters and the characteristics of both edible and inedible internal organs in broiler chickens. The experiment was conducted at the Poultry Fields of the Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture/ University of Anbar, over 42 days from November 24, 2023, to January 4, 2024. A total of 180 one-day-old Ross 308 strain, with an average initial weight of 42 gm, were used in the study. The chicks were randomly assigned to three treatments, each with four replicates. An optimal environment for rearing the chicks was established, which included suitable temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting, and health management. The treatments were categorized as follows: T1: Traditional floor-rearing system using wood shavings as bedding. T2: Battery system using metal cages with four tiers, cage dimensions (80, 120, 40) cm, and metal mesh floors with an opening size of 1.5 cm. T3: Floor rearing system using a plastic mesh floor raised 7 cm above the ground, with mesh openings of 1.5 cm. The results showed no significant differences between blood biochemical attributes or the weight of edible internal organs across all experimental treatments. Similarly, there were no notable differences in the weight of the thigh and breast among the various treatments. These findings that the different rearing systems used in the experiment did not induce any signs of stress in the birds. Furthermore, the lack of significant differences in the weight of inedible internal organs indicates that the birds’ immune capacity was preserved, regardless of the rearing systems employed and maintained, irrespective of the rearing systems used.

In this study, we build upon previous research by investigating the histopathological effects of *Giardia duodenalis* isolated from humans and dogs using a mouse model. A total of 20 BALB/c mice (average age: 8 weeks ± 2.4 days; average weight: 19.8 ± 0.5 g) were randomly divided into two groups of ten mice each. The unchallenged control group received no challenges and was orally administered 0.3 mL of normal saline. In contrast, the group challenged with Giardia duodenalis received a solution containing *G. duodenalis* at a concentration of 2 × 10⁴ cysts/mL in 0.3 mL, also orally. Clinical signs were monitored for 10 days, and body weights were recorded on days 0, 5, and 10. On day 10, tissue samples from liver and duodenum were collected and fixed in 10% formalin for histopathological analysis. Results showed that G. duodenalis-challenge significantly reduced the average body weights of mice on days 5 and 10 post-challenge. Histopathological results revealed that G. duodenalis-challenge caused hepatic blood vessel congestion, disappearance of hepatic cords, and pyknosis of hepatocytic nuclei. The intestinal histology was remarkably impacted with hyperplasia of goblet cells, cellular infiltration in the lamina propria, and extensive enterocyte damage. Additionally, numerous giardial parasites were observed in the mucus between the intestinal villi and lamina propria. These findings suggest that Giardia duodenalis isolates induce significant histopathological changes, primarily in the liver and intestines.