Diyala Agricultural Sciences Journal

Climate change impacts the world in many ways, and agriculture is one sector affected. The broad objective of the study is to assess the effect of climate change adaptation strategies on farm profit among watermelon farmers in the Iwo ADP zone of Osun State, Nigeria. The primary source of information for the study was data collection instruments of nicely composed questionnaires. Information captured includes farm inputs and costs, farm outputs and prices, climate adaptation strategies such as mulching, covering with sac, irrigation system, and cultivation of improved varieties. Data were subjected to evaluation with descriptive statistics and multiple regressions. It was revealed from the study that the common age of the farmers was 46.88±2.04 years, the majority (85.8%) were male with an average family size of 5±1 persons. The average years of farming practices was 13.4 ±2.30 years and the mean farm size was 2.70± 0.2 acres. The study's findings revealed that important climate change adaptation management techniques utilized by the farmers include mulching, use of agrochemicals, covering with sac, and use of an irrigation system. The gross farm income per acre is estimated at ₦153,074.6 and a BCR of 1.4. Multiple regression analysis revealed the factors influencing the profit include gender (p ≤ 0.05), farm size (p ≤ 0.01), farming experience (p ≤ 0.01), access to credit (p ≤ 0.05), and climate change adaptation (p ≤ 0.01). The study concluded that the use of climate change adaptation techniques increased the level of farm profit.

Asian wild rice, a paramount cereal habitually grown in the wetlands of Manipur Valley (North-East India), is a dynamic source of carbohydrates for the Meitei ethnic group. The present work attempts to estimate a comparative evaluation of the proximate, mineral and phytochemical analyses on two Asian wild rice- O. rufipgon Griff. and O. nivara (Sharma et Shastry). Of the two wild rice populations, O. nivara contains a superior ratio of carbohydrates, protein, moisture, fat, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iron, and zinc to that of O. rufipogon. The qualitative phytochemical study shows high indications of phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, carbohydrate, triterpenoids, terpenoids, saponins, and steroids in both specimens. At the same time, O. rufipogon indicates a higher total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) than O. nivara. Based on the chemical analysis conducted, despite differences in quantitative values, the present study discloses that Asian wild rice is an excellent, highly nutritious cereal compared to other rice varieties.

The textile industry is a growing global sector that creates many jobs and boosts the country's economy. However, it is a major source of water pollution that threatens aquatic life and human health. Therefore, it has become necessary to find new methods that are effective, sustainable, and low-cost to remove these dyes from wastewater. The research aims to investigate the capacity of Scenedesmus quadricauda algae to adsorb textile dyes Reactive Yellow 145, and Disperse Yellow 114 from aquatic media by studying the effects of 5 variables on the dye removal efficiency, including initial dye concentration (10-50 ppm), contact time (3-12 days), pH (5-9), temperature (4-40 C°), and adsorbent dosage (0.1-2.5 g L-1) The current study's results revealed that the immobilized algae achieved the highest color removal percentages of 98% and 97% for the dyes Reactive Yellow 145 and Disperse Yellow 114, respectively. Most decolorization activity was found at an initial concentration of 40 mg L-1, 9 days of contact, a pH value of 5, a temperature of 25°c, an algae dosage of 2.5 g L-1, and a stirring speed of 120 rpm. The spectrophotometer method was used to verify this. In addition, SEM and FTIR analysis of the immobilized biomass of S. quadricauda were performed before and after dye treatment. It was found that the immobilized algae biomass had high biosorption properties associated with its surface structure and active groups, proving the immobilization effectiveness.

The textile industry is a growing global sector that creates many jobs and boosts the country's economy. However, it is a major source of water pollution that threatens aquatic life and human health. Therefore, it has become necessary to find new methods that are effective, sustainable, and low-cost to remove these dyes from wastewater. The research aims to investigate the capacity of Scenedesmus quadricauda algae to adsorb textile dyes Reactive Yellow 145, and Disperse Yellow 114 from aquatic media by studying the effects of 5 variables on the dye removal efficiency, including initial dye concentration (10-50 ppm), contact time (3-12 days), pH (5-9), temperature (4-40 C°), and adsorbent dosage (0.1-2.5 g L-1) The current study's results revealed that the immobilized algae achieved the highest color removal percentages of 98% and 97% for the dyes Reactive Yellow 145 and Disperse Yellow 114, respectively. Most decolorization activity was found at an initial concentration of 40 mg L-1, 9 days of contact, a pH value of 5, a temperature of 25°c, an algae dosage of 2.5 g L-1, and a stirring speed of 120 rpm. The spectrophotometer method was used to verify this. In addition, SEM and FTIR analysis of the immobilized biomass of S. quadricauda were performed before and after dye treatment. It was found that the immobilized algae biomass had high biosorption properties associated with its surface structure and active groups, proving the immobilization effectiveness.

Mustard is a medicinal plant known in various civilizations for its distinctive properties. Enhancing the production of primary and secondary metabolites in medicinal plants depends on light intensity and irrigation. This study evaluated the effects of two levels of light intensity full sun light (no shade) and 50% of sunlight (50% of shade) and four levels of irrigation (40, 60, 80, and 100% of field capacity) on the growth, physiology, and phytochemical and antioxidant activity of mustard (Brassica juncea) using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed a significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in plant height, chlorophyll pigments (ab - b - a), stem dry weight, and seed yield at 50% of light intensity. Meanwhile, the quantification of total phenolic and flavonoids content (TPC and TFC), and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) significantly increased under low irrigation levels. Irrigation at 60% increased the TPC by 80.32% compared with 100% irrigation. High TPC and DPPH activity were observed at 40% irrigation. The RSR was significantly affected by high light intensity, increasing by 68.97% under full sunlight. Growth and chlorophyll pigments were more affected by light intensity than phytochemical compounds, which were more influenced by deficient irrigation. Under 50% of sunlight, the mustard plant allocated more biomass to the shoot system than to the root. In conclusion, the increase in seed yield is linked to optimal levels of lighting.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil compaction levels and biochar addition on some soil physical parameters, namely; bulk density, particle density, soil porosity, hydraulic conductivity and infiltration. It included two factors: soil compaction with two levels of 0 and 2 kg and biochar addition with two levels of 0 and 2 %. The results showed that the soil compaction of 2 kg significantly affected in the bulk density, soil porosity, and hydraulic conductivity comparing with the soil compaction 0 kg, with no significant effect on particle density and infiltration. Meanwhile, 2 % biochar addition significantly affected in the bulk density, soil porosity, and hydraulic conductivity compared with 0 % biochar addition, with no significant effect on particle density and infiltration. Moreover, the results showed that the interaction between soil compaction and biochar addition led to a significant effect giving lowest bulk density 0.99 Mg m-3, particle density 2.42 Mg m-3, hydraulic conductivity 1.46 cm h-1, and highest soil porosity 59.20 %, with 0 kg soil compaction and 2 % biochar, but lowest infiltration 8.10 cm h-1 with 2 kg soil compaction and 2 % biochar.

The experiment was carried out. To know the effect of adding KNO3, KH2PO4, and CaCl2 to the callus of the plant Ammi visnaga that produces metabolic compounds khellin and visnagin. The seeds were planted on Woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid at levels 0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 mg L-1 mixed with Kinetin 6-furfurylo- amino-purine a level of 2.5 mg L-1. After germination of the seeds the shoot tips were taken and grown on WPM medium supplemented with 2,4-D at 0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and 5.5 mg L-1 mixed with kinetin at a level. 2.5 mg L-1. After obtaining the callus, it was grown on WPM medium supplied with KNO3 at a level of 0.0, 0.20, 0.30 and 0.40 g L-1 and KH2PO4 at a level of 0.0, 0.20, 0.25 and 0.30 g L-1 and CaCl2.2H2O at a level of 0.0, 0.20, 0.30 and 0.40 g L-1.The results showed that the level was 3.0 mg L-1 of 2,4-D and Kinetin at 2.5 mg L-1 gave the highest germination rate. The level of 3.0 mg L-1 2,4-D with 2.5 mg L-1 Kinetin achieved the highest percentage of callus formation 95.80%. The highest level of visnagin and khellin was obtained when adding KNO3 at a level of 0.30 g L-1, KH2PO4 at a level of 0.30 g L-1 and CaCl2 at a level of 0.20 g L-1. The addition of element salts affected the callus content of khellin and vinsangen compounds.

In the rural areas, rangelands play a crucial role in feeding livestock (sheep, goats, and cattle). However, since 2000, overgrazing has led to significant degradation of northern Iraq pastures. This study examined the effect of different clipping frequencies (non-clipped, once-clipped, twice-clipped, and triple-clipped) on natural vegetation’s quality and quantity to simulate grazing. The results found that clipping increased moisture content but not significantly across multiple clipping. Once-clipped vegetation had the highest wet weight 1306.5 g/m2, while non-clipped and once-clipped treatments had the highest dry weights 402.5 and 410.8 g/m2 respectively. More frequent clippings reduced dry weight and dry matter percentages, whereas clipping did not significantly affect organic matter percentage. Once-clipped significantly reduced crude fiber 22.38% but this reduction was not significant beyond the first cutting. However, clipping increased crude protein percent, especially with triple-clipping 7.68%, and slightly increase ash content. Clipping also reduced ether extract and increased nitrogen-free extract slightly. The study concluded that minimal clipping preserves plant mass and improve crude protein and ash percentages while reducing fiber and ether extract. Once and twice clipping balances yield and nutritional quality, with once-clipping being optimal for wet yield and twice- clipping enhancing nutritional quality with manageable yield loss. Triple-clipping is not recommended due to significant yield reduction. For optimal forage quality and sustainability, once and twice clipping is recommended, making the forage more digestible without significant nutrient losses.

A freshwater Pomacea canaliculata snail is widely spread across countries, including Iraq, and has the possibility for habitat alterations and lives under unusual conditions. This snail has not acquired any importance in Iraq at the molecular characterization level. Therefore, the study aimed to characterize the HSP60-coding gene in P. canaliculata at bioinformatics and molecular levels and determine whether HSP60 could be used as a taxonomical marker. P. canaliculata samples were collected from the Shatt Al-Arab River, Basrah province, and cDNA was synthesized from extracted RNA. HSP60 primers were designed to amplify 1322 bases using PCR. Purified products were randomly selected for sequencing. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the HSP60 gene (12 introns and 13 exons) belonged to the nuclear genome and its protein was located in mitochondria due to having the mitochondrial transit peptide. HSP60 protein could also form high molecular weight conformational changes during catalytic cycles. The results also displayed that the HSP60 sequences from Basrah shared 100% identity. For the first time, the evolutionary network revealed four P. canaliculate genotypes and the A genotype (this study's samples) was unique compared with three different genotypes from China (B, C, and D). Likewise, the protein of the A genotype was also distinctive from Chinese proteins. These results suggest that there was only one genotype of P. canaliculate in Basrah based on the HSP60 gene/protein. HSP60 could be utilized as a taxonomical marker in studying the intraspecies in P. canaliculate and this could be applied to other gastropods.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of different levels of Azolla on the rumen fermentation characteristics of Awassi lambs. Fifteen local Awassi lambs, aged 5-6 months and weighing on average 23.2 ± 0.3 kg, were randomly divided into three treatment groups: T1 (control), T2 (3%), and T3 (5%) based on body weight. Rumen liquid was collected at three different periods (before feeding, 2 hours, and 4 hours post-feeding). Results showed no significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) in rumen pH and total volatile fatty acids (TVFAs). However, there was a significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in N-NH3 concentration with increasing Azolla level in the diet. Rumen parameters were significantly affected by the time of sampling after feeding; pH value decreased while the concentrations of ammonia and volatile fatty acids increased during the periods of 2 and 4 hours after feeding. The interaction between Azolla levels and time of sampling indicated that the pH value of rumen liquid from lambs in T2 and T3, at sample times of 2 and 4 hours after feeding, significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased. Furthermore, lambs fed 5% Azolla showed a significant increase in TVFAs concentration after 4 hours and in N-NH3 concentration at both 2 and 4 hours post-feeding. The use of Azolla as a protein source in the feeding of Awassi lambs, as a partial replacement for wheat bran, has been associated with an improved rumen environment.

This study aims to evaluate and compare the adsorption behavior of copper and zinc in some gypsiferous soils using the linearization methods of the Langmuir equation. Six surface soil samples were taken from three different sites in Salah al-Din and Najaf governorates. Coefficient of determination (R²) was high for both ions, except for zinc in Salah al-Din site T3. Langmuir equation constants showed maximum adsorption values (b) higher for copper than zinc, reaching 476.19 mg kg-1 in Salah al-Din site T3 and 1666.66 mg kg-1 in Najaf site N3. Zinc's highest values were 181.81 mg kg-1 in Salah al-Din site T2 and 666.66 mg kg-1 in Najaf N3. The results indicated that the high maximum adsorption values ​​(b) for both ions are associated with a relatively low binding energy (k). The results also confirmed that copper ions had much lower binding energy values than zinc ions, with copper at 15 L mg-1 in Salah al-Din site T1 soil and 4 L mg-1 in Najaf site N2 soil. In contrast, zinc showed higher binding energy, with 122.54 L mg-1 in Salah al-Din T3 and 143.33 L mg-1 in Najaf N1. Copper’s distribution coefficient values are generally higher than zinc’s, except in Salah al-Din T3 and Najaf N1 soils. The results regarding the constants of the Langmuir equation for both ions indicated that the maximum adsorption value (b) indicates the soil's capacity to adsorb metals. Thus, the soil has a higher affinity for copper than for zinc.

Phosphorus is one of the most abundant mineral elements found in the Earth's crust in both organic and inorganic forms. Although present in high concentrations, only 0.1% of total phosphorus is available for agriculture due to its poor solubility and availability. Thus, the present work aimed to study the effects of mixed organic fertilizers and Phosphate Solubilizing bacteria (PSB) (i.e., Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus polymyxa, and Bacillus subtilis) to enhance the efficiency of wheat crop phosphorus availability in gypsiferous soil. The experiment was conducted in the field conditions using seven different fertilizers and PSB combinations. The wheat grain content of total phosphorus increased significantly in mineral fertilizer + organic fertilizer + PSB treatments by 45%, and in organic fertilizer + PSB by 41%, as compared to the control variant. There was also an increase in the total phosphorus content of the wheat straw, as well as in the weight of wheat grains. The treatments, i.e., T7 (mineral + organic fertilizer + PSB), T4 (mineral + organic fertilizer), and T6 (organic fertilizer + PSB) were significantly superior to the rest of the treatments in the case of P enrichment and wheat growth. The percentage increase in the weight of 1000 grains compared to the control was 29%, 24%, and 22%, respectively, for T7, T4, and T6 treatment. The results indicated that the use of PSB with mineral and organic fertilizers could improve the P availability to plants for sustainable crop cultivation in gypsum rich soils.

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of taurine in ovo injection on hatchability, chick quality, intestinal development, and biochemical parameters of broiler chick Ross 308, On 18th day of incubation, 1050 fertilized hatching eggs randomly distributed into seven treatments with 150 eggs for each treatment, T1 without injection (negative control), T2 control with injection of 0.2 ml normal saline /egg (carrier control), and T3–T7 (injected with 0.2 mL normal saline containing 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg taurine per egg, respectively). Statistical analysis showed a significant effect of taurine injection on hatchability (P=0.000) and mortality (P=0.005), Treatments T3 and T4 recorded the highest hatchability and the lowest mortality. Additionally, treatment T3 showed significant improvement (P=0.000) in body weight, with a mean of 44.51 g, followed by treatment T4 with a mean weight of 43.03 g, compared to 40.06 and 40.75 g in T1 and T2, respectively. Similarly, chick length was significantly greater (P=0.000) in T3 (22.77 cm) and T4 (22.50 cm) compared to T1 (21.85 cm) and T2 (21.70 cm) .T3 and T4 led to a significant increase in total protein (P=0.001), globulin (P=0.006), and high - density lipoprotein (P=0.001) concentrations and a significant decrease in cholesterol (P=0.000), triglycerides(P=0.001), and liver enzyme concentrations, It can be concluded that In ovo injection with 50 mg/egg of taurine, improved hatchability, productivity, and physiological traits of broiler chicks.

The present study aimed to assess three pesticide residues (hexachlorobenzene, cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos) in the muscle of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), barbus grypus (Arabibarbus grypus) and water from Dukan Lake. About 60 samples were collected from different sites on the Dukan Lake in Iraq from different seasons (November 2023 to August 2024). Fish samples were analyzed fresh and grilled for the presence of pesticide residues using the QuEChERS method for extraction and water extraction was done by solid-phase extraction method accompanied by cleanup and detection using GC–MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). The results revealed that the examined pesticides were identified in both types of fish muscles and water during different seasons, except hexachlorobenzene, which was not discovered in either fish type in the spring and in water during the summer. All pesticide residues were less than the maximum residue limit (MRL) in Japan, and just one sample exceeded the maximum residue limit in the European Union. Cooking (grilling) fish samples lowered pesticide residual levels to at least 25% of those measured in raw muscle. The trial findings indicated that eating common carp and barbus grypus and drinking water provides minor health hazards owing to residues of the three studied pesticides.

Agricultural soil contamination poses a global threat to crop productivity and food safety. Agricultural expansion led farmers to cultivate cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and soybean (Glycine max) on land near a wet battery waste disposal site. This study evaluates the effect of battery waste deposits at varying distances on biomass, grain yields, and nodulation of these crops, as well as the impact on microbial populations. Twenty (20) soil sampling points were randomly selected across four sites: a non-contaminated control site, the main battery dumpsite (MDS), and areas located 20 meters and 40 meters away from the MDS, with five sampling points per site. Using a 2 × 4 factorial Complete Randomized Design, the crops were grown with recommended best practices and inoculated with effective USDA 110 Bradyrhizobium strains. Results from analyses indicated that contamination significantly reduced plant height, leaf number, pod number, dry root and shoot weights, grain yield, and microbial population. Soil analysis revealed high concentrations of Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Arsenic (As), and Cobalt (Co) at the contamination sites. Specifically, Pb levels were 1772.4, 563.1, and 157.6 times higher in the MDS, 20 MDS, and 40 MDS sites, respectively, compared to the control soil, which had a concentration of 20.10 mg kg–1. The bacterial population decreased by approximately 83% in the MDS area relative to the control. Findings from this study indicate that wet battery waste deposition significantly increases soil contamination with heavy metals, adversely affecting legume yield, growth, and microbial populations, rendering the area unsuitable for cultivation.

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol), severely affects tomato crops worldwide. This study evaluated the effectiveness of chemical and biological control methods on the susceptible tomato variety A-Z-54-F1, under laboratory and field conditions. Four Fol isolates (F1–F4) were obtained from infected tomato fields, while Bacillus subtilis was isolated from rhizosphere soil and Trichoderma harzianum was obtained from Tasneem Company. In vitro, Hemixazol completely inhibited Fol growth (100%), followed by B. subtilis (64.53%) and T. harzianum (47.97%). Field experiments showed Hemixazol significantly reduced infection rate from 70% to 10% and severity from 81% to 15%, achieving the highest control efficacy (81.48%). B. subtilis and T. harzianum reduced infection to 26% and 30%, respectively, and reduced severity to 31% and 44%, respectively, with control efficacies of 61.73% and 45.68%, respectively. Hemixazol was the most effective, though biological agents also offered promising protection. It can be concluded that both chemical and biological treatments can reduce the incidence of Fusarium wilt disease on tomato plants.