Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences

The aim of this experiment was studying the efficacy dietary dried powders’ of ecofriendly natural antioxidants of beetroot (Br), grape pomace (Gp) and willow (W) in two concentrations 0.5 and 1 % as an anti-heat-stressor and their impacts on performance and thermo-tolerance state on broiler’s housed under thermal-stress averaged (33◦C). 630 Ross-308day-old-chicks were used. The treatments were applied after 2 weeks of starter feeding as beginning grower feed then finisher diet until 42d marketing age. The treatments were as follow: T1:Control (basal diet BD); T2 (1% Br+BD); T3 (0.5% Br+BD); T4 (1%GP+BD); T5 (0.5%GP+BD); T6 (1%W+BD); T7 (0.5%W+BD). Complete Random Design (CRD) used on three replicates/treatment; thirty bird/rep. The results indicate that both Br and Gp in both (0.5; 1%) levels improved growth performance except birds in W 0.5% wasn’t affected and W 1% decreased significantly than Control. The PEF was significantly higher in each of T2, T3, and T4 groups than Control group. All natural antioxidants dietary supplemented enhanced body antioxidants; prevented oxidation; developed thermo-tolerance and stress expressions than the control group. It can be concluded that the antioxidant property of the eco-friendly additives used in the current experiment promoted the biological condition hence the thermally-stressed broilers' productive performance.

This study utilized 100 local Iraqi laying hens, aged 67 days, which were individually housed in numbered cages (1 to 100) for the duration of the experiment, conducted from October 26, 2021, to March 5, 2022. The results revealed highly significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) in the number and frequency of the LEI0234 marker among the different alleles, with the A1 allele showing superior performance compared to the other alleles. The A1 allele appeared in vari-ous genotypic forms, with a frequency of 27.00%. No significant differences were observed among the alleles in terms of body weight, age at sexual maturity, egg mass, or feed conver-sion efficiency. However, significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were recorded during the 84-day period. Egg weight showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) during the production periods of 14 and 28 days. However, no significant differences were observed during the subsequent pe-riods of 42, 56, 70, 84, 98, and 100 days. In contrast, feed consumption exhibited significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) during the production periods of 14, 28, 42, 56, 98, and 100 days.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of fish oil levels on the growth performance, feed efficiency, and body composition of common carp. The study divided 56 common carp into four treatment groups and fed diets containing different levels of fish oil over 56 days. Results showed significant differences in growth performance and feed efficiency between the treatments. The T3 (1.5% fish oil) and T4 (2% fish oil) groups showed the highest weight gain and most efficient feed conversion ratio, suggesting that 1.5% fish oil may support growth outcomes like those with 2% fish oil. Body composition analyses revealed favorable protein-to-fat ratios, suggesting improved nutrient retention and lean growth with reduced fish oil levels. These findings suggest that common carp can achieve satisfactory growth and feed efficiency with lower levels of fish oil, providing a more sustainable alternative to high-fish-oil diets.

The present study highlighted the effectiveness of natural extracts derived from annatto and beetroot in prolonging the shelf life of refrigerated beef burgers for up to 12 days. The experimental design included five treatment groups: T1 (control, no additives), T2 (185.6 µg/ml nano-encapsulated annatto), T3 (187.6 µg/ml nano-encapsulated beetroot), T4 (a combination of nano-encapsulated annatto and beetroot at the same concentrations), and T5 (0.01% BHA). Samples were stored under refrigeration for 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 days, after which they were subjected to a series of physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory evaluations. The data revealed that the nano-encapsulation of annatto and beetroot extracts led to statistically significant increases (P < 0.01) in protein, fat, and ash content, as well as elevated levels of myoglobin pigment and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values. In contrast, moisture content and water-holding capacity (WHC) showed significant reductions (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that incorporating nano-formulated annatto and beetroot extracts into beef burgers contributes to enhanced antioxidant activity during chilled storage, as evidenced by lower oxidative indicators and reduced total bacterial counts.

This study was conducted at Al-Khalis Dairy Cattle Station in Diyala Governorate during the productive season during 2021–2022. 63 Holstein cows were selected randomly to study the effect of prolactin gene (PRL) and prolactin gene receptor (PRLR) polymorphism on milk production, milk components, and reproductive traits in Holstein dairy cows. The results showed three SNPs of PRL gene (TT, TC, and CC). There are highly significant differences (P>0.01) between the percentages of the genotypes, which reached (79.37, 17.46, and 3.17% , respectively ) and three SNPs for PRLR gene ( TT , TA and AA with percentage 47.62 , 41.27 and 11.11 respectively) in Holstein dairy cows in Iraq. the results showed there were a significant effect of TC genotype (4187.82 kg) of total milk yield compared with TT (4013.02 kg ) and CC (3505.00 kg) The polymorphism for PRL gene The total milk production was higher in TA genotype (4321.04 kg) followed than TT genotype (4025.53 kg) and AA genotype (2877.33 kg) for PRLR gene. The polymorphism of the PRL and PRLR genes did not significantly effects on the reproductive traits and milk components except for fat percentage in the PRL gene and lactose percentage in the PRLR gene. It can be concluded, a highly significant relationship between the prolactin gene and the prolactin receptor gene with milk production, so it can be used for genetic improvement of milk cows.

Marek’s disease virus (MDV) infects chickens and is among the most common tumor in animals. The first MDV vaccinations that prevented cancer and reduced losses in the chicken industry were live-attenuated vaccines. Despite the fact that the current gold standard vaccination effectively guards against the disease, because of the Meq gene the virus is continuously mutating to become more virulent. the two vaccine generations previously given protection was able to be overcome by emerging field strains. In the present study collecting the tissue samples from infected, A standardized PCR was used. 132-bp tandem repeat region targeted for serotype-1 MD viruses. in Further, the oncogenes' characterization. PCR and nucleotide sequencing were used to detect Meq gen and viral interleukin 8 (vIL-8) gen. Meq gene sequence analysis for different clinical cases from Iraq revealed 100 % homology with Indian strain, Japan strain, Turkish strain, Germany strain (very virulent). and with (very very virulent) Iranian strains showed 100% identity with the Iraq strain. With the use of more GenBank sequences, a phylogenetic analysis of oncogenes was carried out. Finally, based on nucleotide and phylogenetic analyses of the viruses, we get to the conclusion that MDV strains found in the current outbreaks in Iraq could be classified as virulent or very very virulent pathotypes.

This study was aimed to investigate the immune response of the vaccinated chickens through avian influenza virus antibody (AIV-Ab) titers as well as evaluate liver function. The study measure of immunological parameters, namely the hemaglutinine inhibition test (HI) and a biochemical parameter called the liver function test, as well as a comparison between the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) recombinant (rH5N1) vaccine and the classical (cH5N8) vaccine. The study was designed as follows: {G1: given rH5N1 vaccine only; G2: given cH5N8 only; G3: given rH5N1 with Cr III supplement; G4: given cH5N8 with Cr III supplement; G5: given Cr III supplement; G6: negative control with no vaccination or supplementation}. The titer of AIV-Ab at 21 days old showed a significant increase in G3 as compared with other groups. At 42 and 60 days old, G3 and G4 revealed the highest levels as compared with another groups. The results of ALT enzyme levels at 30 and 60 days old showed the lowest levels in G3 and G5 as compared to other groups. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in AST enzyme levels in all groups except G6 at both ages 30 and 60 days old. In conclusion, Cr III supplementation can improve the immune response against AI vaccines and has a positive impact on liver health.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of kaolin on growth and clinical signs in Cyprinus carpio exposed to copper sulphate. For this rationale, six treatment groups with two replicates were used in this experiment as follows: C- served as control negative group without exposed to kaolin or CuSO4; C+ served as control positive group was exposed to 0.91mg/l CuSO4 only; T1, T2, T3 and T4 were subjected to 0.91mg/l of CuSO4 and kaolin was added to them at levels of 2, 4, 6 and 8 g/l respectively. Result findings reveal a positive relationship of the mean total weight gain among treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 with the increase in the percentage of kaolin, practically in T4 which reached 13.2g. The mean daily weight gain of the experimental fish ranged between – 0.08 g/day/fish in C+ treatment to 0.55g/day/fish in C- treatment. C- treatment recorded the best value for feed conversion ratio and feed conversion efficiency with values of 3.5 and 28.57% respectively, followed by T4 with values of 3.9 and 25.0% respectively. In addition, values of the relative growth rates fluctuated between the lowest value in C+ treatment (-2.50%) and the highest value in C- treatment (18.34%). Specific growth rate, experienced the same previous pattern as they ranged between – 0.04 and 0.24%/day in C+ and C- treatments respectively. These results suggested that kaolin helped to reduce the toxicity of copper sulphate in experimental fish.

The aim of this study was to identify and differentiate between Fasciola gigamtica and Fasciola hepatica infections in buffaloes, through the application of PCR technique. Also, includes investigate the characteristics of phylogenetic analysis for Fasciola gigantica based on partial mitochondrial DNA. The application of polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR) in molecular diagnosis was exhibited high levels of specificity and sensitivity in identifying both species of Fasciola depend on two different genes NADH 6 for F. hepatica and NADH 4 for F. gigantica. Moreover the percentage of infection by F. hepatica and F. gigantica were recorded using specific different primers to be 0% and 100 % respectively. The results of the sequencing and phylogenetic tree showed 99% identification with three China isolate (MH621335.1, GU121036.1, GU121037.1), and 98% identification one China isolate. Furthermore, the results showed 100% identification with two Niger isolate (GU121056.1, GU121048.1), and 99% identification with two Niger isolate (GU121047.1, FJ392263.1) based on sequence analysis of mitochondrial NADH 4 gene (ND4). Thus, the current study concluded that the phylogenetic analysis exhibited a significant genetic resemblance between the strains from Iraq and Niger.

This study was conducted in the Third River for the extended period from January 2022 to December 2022. A total of 327 Cyprinus carpio fish were collected. The measurements were carried out to show the monthly changes in food selection, some of the functional traits that influence feeding were also measured. The results showed that the highest rate of stomach values containing food was found in the months of May and July, while the highest level of feeding intensity was recorded in November. The results of the study suggested that the standard length for tested fish was 342.5±88.5.mm. Head length, and head depth were 77.91± 18.12 mm and 64.91± 15.03 mm consecutively. The study concluded that the functional traits exhibited by common carp improved their ability to adapt to their environment and that their status is not sensitive in the study area.

This study investigated the impact of melatonin (MEL) and a short photoperiod on the reproductive performance of local Jordanian goats during the out-breeding season. Forty-five nursing does and five bucks were divided into five groups: MEL with sponge (MS), MEL without sponge (M), darkness with sponge (DS), darkness without sponge (D), and a control group (C). The darkness groups were subjected to a 63-day controlled darkness program to simulate decreasing daylight hours. MEL was administered via subcutaneous implants, and the MS and DS groups received progesterone (P4)-impregnated sponges. The results showed that MEL levels significantly increased (P=0.007) in all experimental groups (MS, M, DS, and D) compared to the control group. The MS group exhibited the highest P4 levels (P=0.001). While there were no significant differences in estrus or conception rates among the groups, the MS group had the highest pregnancy rate at days 21 and 28. Fertilization rates were similar across all groups. Fecundity was comparable, but prolificacy was highest in the MS group. Hormonal treatments and reduced daylight influenced the bucks' scrotal circumference, with the MS group displaying the largest (p<0.05) scrotal circumference and the highest testosterone concentration. In conclusion, the study suggests that administering MEL to goats, particularly in combination with P4 sponges, may enhance their reproductive capacity during the out-breeding season.

The aim of the study is determining the effect of public and private also support and government loans in Agricultural domestic product by analyzing data that got it from secondary sources to the variables contained in the model during the period (1990-2020) using Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL) with software Eviews 10. The study finds that positive relationship between agriculture domestic product and explaining variables. We find significant parameters in the short and long run, explained that is the increase in agricultural loans with 1% lead to an increase in agricultural domestic product with 14%. Also, an increase in agricultural support with 1% lead to an increase in agricultural domestic product with 8%. Furthermore, an increase in private agricultural investment with 1% lead to increase in Agricultural domestic product with 3% and Increase in public agricultural investment with 1% lead to increase in Agricultural domestic product with 7% and that is refer to the importance role of public sector with the importance of private sector with agricultural policies as investment and financing policies as well as government support policy which works of expand production capacities and support the private sector .the study is recommended to expansion the function of the Agricultural mutual Bank and to provide capital to producers by the agricultural initiative and to put a strategy to development and give an incentive the private sector.

This study aimed to obtain phytoremediator that have better effectiveness to accumulating mercury so as to reduce mercury content in grains, research was conducted on mercury-contaminated rice fields. The study was conducted withim randomized block design with 3 replications. First factors are varieties namely Ciherang, IR-64, Siganteng (local variety), and Inpari-32, the second are the type of phytoremediator, namely: Kiambang, Eceng Gondok and Jerango and third factor are population of phytoremediator, namely: without phytoremediator, 5, 10 and 15 plants per plot. The plot size used was 1 metre x 2 meters with 20 rice plants per plot. The results showed that there was a decrease in mercury content in rice grains of all varieties below the quality standard threshold in eceng gondok and jerango treatments with population 10 and 15 plants per plot. The results obtained to reduce the mercury content below the quality standard threshold with high production can be done by the application of jerango phytoremediators with population 10 plants per plot with the best variety is IR-64.

This study was aimed to investigate the extent the land to productive due to the fact that climatic changes and the increase in population growth are reasons that led to an increase in the demand for food, especially in developing countries. Therefore, a scientific way must assess the suitability of lands for growing crops. This research aims to provide an integrated approach to the process of analyzing the suitability of agricultural lands for crop growth. Rice in the Al-Mishkhab region of Al-Najaf Governorate using the analytical hierarchy model AHP and compared with the method of (Sys, 1993) and the actual production in the field, 12 soil parameters were determined (electrical conductivity, soil interaction, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable sodium ratio, texture soil, lime, gypsum, organic carbon, drainage, soil depth, slope, flooding) and three criteria were added in the AHP method due to their importance in Iraqi soils, which are (total nitrogen, available phosphorus, crop class). The results were extracted and showed that all the results of the study Using the method (Sys, 1993) within the unsuitable range for cultivation N2, either using the analytical hierarchy method and giving varying importance to the above soil criteria, it was found that 12% Very suitable for S1, 60% suitable for agriculture S2, and 28% moderately suitable for S3. Identical to actual crop production in the study area.

This study aimed to assess desertification and land degradation in an arid and semi-arid climate (Al-Nasr area, Dhi Qar Governorate). We used the MEDALUS and modified MEDALUS models with three scenarios, in conjunction with GIS mapping techniques, to identify desertification risks in one Iraqi governorate. After creating a desertification database containing 19 criteria, the first steps consisted of mapping four MEDALUS indicators, including soil, vegetation, climate, and land management. The next step involved adding other indicators such as irrigation water. All layers weighted by environmental conditions present in the region were then used according to the same MEDALUS framework to create a desertification map. The results showed that the modified MEDALUS models DSI2 and DSI3 performed better, with the unaffected type covering 44,623.6 and 48,817.2 hectares, representing 47% and 51% of the study area, while the severely affected type covered 41,971.7 and 35,490.8 hectares, representing 44% and 37% of the study area, respectively. For the DSI1 model, the unaffected type covered 28,968.6 hectares, representing 30.5%, while the affected type covered a very small area of the study area.

This study aimed to assess desertification and land degradation in an arid and semi-arid climate (Al-Nasr area, Dhi Qar Governorate). We used the MEDALUS and modified MEDALUS models with three scenarios, in conjunction with GIS mapping techniques, to identify desertification risks in one Iraqi governorate. After creating a desertification database containing 19 criteria, the first steps consisted of mapping four MEDALUS indicators, including soil, vegetation, climate, and land management. The next step involved adding other indicators such as irrigation water. All layers weighted by environmental conditions present in the region were then used according to the same MEDALUS framework to create a desertification map. The results showed that the modified MEDALUS models DSI2 and DSI3 performed better, with the unaffected type covering 44,623.6 and 48,817.2 hectares, representing 47% and 51% of the study area, while the severely affected type covered 41,971.7 and 35,490.8 hectares, representing 44% and 37% of the study area, respectively. For the DSI1 model, the unaffected type covered 28,968.6 hectares, representing 30.5%, while the affected type covered a very small area of the study area.

The experiment was carried out in the season 2021-2022 at College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences / University of Baghdad, For testing the potential for the plant growth-promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) in controlling the Rhizoctonia solani fungus that causes black scurf disease in potatoes. All fungal isolates obtained a very good efficacy in the reduction seed germination percentage (0, 6.7, 15.6 and 17.7%, respectively) in comparison with control (97.7%). The results showed that the Rs1 and Rs4 fungi isolates are the most pathogenic as it recorded 5 and 4.2 respectively. Bl.4 bacterial isolate recorded the highest inhibitory ability of fungus growth (47.6%) with significant differences compared with Bl.5 and Bl.3, while Bl.2 achieved 5.53%. Based on the isolation and nucleotide sequencing, the highest inhibitory ability by bacteria isolated from soil (Bl.4) was achieved by Bacillus licheniformis. The results also showed the effectiveness of the immersion method with bacteria in reducing the severity of infection of the vegetative and root systems with R. solani, with reduction values of 26.67 and 30.00%, respectively, and significant differences compared with the control treatment (83.33, 88.33% respectively).

This study aimed to evaluate the nematicidal effect of three local Bacillus thuringiensis isolates in controlling the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne spp. under laboratory and shade house conditions. We amplified 16S rRNA and performed polymerase chain reaction on the isolates to confirm them as B. thuringiensis. PCR was carried out with a universal primer for the 16S rRNA amplification for confirmation, where all three isolates yielded the predicted amplicon. The isolates were identified as B. thuringiensis and documented using sequencing based on their 16S rRNA genes. Sequencing results were deposited at NCBI. The laboratory experiments revealed that Sa.Sa.Kh.3 isolate outperformed the other two isolates, Sa.Sa.Kh.1 and Sa.Sa.Kh.2, in terms of egg hatching inhibition and second-stage juvenile mortality, reached 94.33% and 90% after 72 hours of exposure, respectively. Pot trial showed that the Sa.Sa.Kh.3 isolate reduced root gall index and improved plant growth parameters shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, plant height, and root length of tomato plants by 1.33g, 77.00 g, 16.63 g, 12.15 g, 2.77 g, 88.00 cm, and 34.33, respectively, when compared to the control groups. Results showed that all isolates, both pre-nematode inoculation and post-nematode inoculation, revealed significant effects on root gall index and enhanced plant growth parameters compared to control groups.

This study aimed to investigate the stimulation of the formation of phenolic compounds in callus cultures of Origanum vulgare using nanomaterials. Different combinations of plant growth regulators (NAA, BAP, and TDZ) were applied to form the calli from leaf explants. The optimal effect was achieved with a combination of 1 mg/L NAA and 0.5 mg/L BAP, which resulted in an initiation rate of 100% along with significant increase in both fresh and dry weight. The addition of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) at different concentrations (1, 2, and 3 mg/L) to the culture medium led to a substantial decrease in the fresh and dry weight of calluses with a significant increase in the content of tested phenolic compounds compared to the control. The effective treatment was 2 mg/L Ag-NPs, which enhanced the production of most phenolic compounds. Additionally, the RAPD-PCR study indicated the presence of genetic variation in the callus cultures under nanoparticle stress.

This study was conducted during the spring season of 2023-2024 and the fall season of 2024-2025 at the fields of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, to investigate effects of irrigation intervals I1 ,I2 (3 and 6 days) , soil amendment with zeolite at three concentrations Z0 ,Z1,Z2 (0, 4, and 8 g. kg soil⁻¹), and foliar spraying with kaolin for three concentrations C0,C1,C2 (0, 0.5, and 1 g .L⁻¹). The results revealed that the treatment I1Z2C2 significantly excelled in leaf area, chlorophyll concentrations, and yield for both seasons, achieving 31.0 dm², 21.5 mg per 100 g fresh weight, and 1984.7 g in the first season, and 34.08 dm², 23.6 mg per 100 g fresh weight, and 2526.3 g in the second season. In contrast, the treatment I2Z0C0 significantly outperformed others in proline concentration, peroxidase enzyme activity, and antioxidant capacity (DPPH), recording 45.5 mg g⁻¹ dry weight, 1.09 absorption units g⁻¹ protein, and 73.3% in the first season, and 101.80 mg g⁻¹ dry weight, 4.400 absorption units g⁻¹ protein, and 92.0% in the second season.

RNAi gene silencing was performed by utilizing pectate lyase, an enzyme capable of degrading pectin, in conjunction with subsequent pectin (organic waste) and organic calcium treatment, allowing for prolonged retention of tomatoes on the plant without compromising quality traits. The study was conducted at two locations using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and consisted of nine treatments. Results showed that SlPL-RNAi plants had the most fruit firmness and Mesocarp thickness; with values of 13.1 kg/cm² and 167.5 µm, respectively, followed by the CaP1P2 treatment (8.56 kg/cm² and 117.0 µm). SlPL-RNAi fruits also showed higher calcium and pectin contents and lower polygalacturonase (PG) activity, which were associated with firmer fruits and prolonged on-plant period (from pink stage to spoil, 33.7 days). Likewise, the CaP1P2 application increased the thickness and firmness of the tissue with a shelf life of up to 20 days. These advancements were credited to increased levels of calcium and pectin along with inhibited action of ripening- associated enzymes. This study provides a useful incorporation of RNAi and biochemical treatments as effective approaches to induce postharvest loss and promote food and environmental sustainability.

This study aimed to assess the physiological effect of foliar silicon on the yield and its components of Bohouth 22cultivar bread wheat under conditions of moisture depletion. A field experiment was conducted at the Research Station E, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad (Al-Jadriyah), during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 winter seasons. The nested design with three replicates was used to study three levels of moisture depletion (40%, 60%, and 80%) and four silicon concentrations (0, 150, 200, and 250 mg L-1).The results showed significant effects of depletion levels and silicon concentrations, with 40% and 60% depletion achieving the highest values for the yield and its components. mean yields for the two seasons reached 5.627 and 4.792 t ha-1, and the highest water use efficiency for grain yield for the 60% depletion level compared to the 40% depletion factor reached 2.49 kg m3 of water in grains, and their water consumption reached 350.35 mm Season-1, which made 12.18% of water availability for the two seasons. The lowest values were recorded at the depletion level of 80%.The silicon concentration of 200 mg L-1 also improved the yield and its components, as a mean for the two seasons. The grain yield reached 5.338 t h-1, and the water use efficiency of the grain yield amounted to 2.64 kg grains m-3 water compared to the control treatment sequentially. The interaction of the two study factors also had a significant effect on Most of the attributes.

Management of date palm is laborious andcostly, thus this work intended to study the two types of frond cutting saws (reciprocating saw andvibrating saw) investigated on three cutting parameters (noise intensity result from frond cutting, surface regularity or flatness of the cut region, andsome mechanical characteristics of the cutting process including longitudinal andradial compressive strength andstress measurement) applied on field grown five date palm varieties (Barhi, Bream, Khestawi, Tebarzal andZahdi). Nested r&omized complete block design was implemented which included five date palm varieties as the main plot andthe type of saw as a sub-plot. Results indicated that both saws caused noise intensity y in accordance with st&ard permissible noise intensity. The highest was in Tebarzal variety while the lowest noise intensity occurred in Bream andthus this variety caused significantly lower noise intensity during cutting fronds than Tebarzal andBarhi. Vibrating saw achieved significantly better cut surface flatness than reciprocating saw. The least frond cut uniformity was reported in Tebarzal variety during using reciprocating saw, whilst the highest was recorded during cutting Bream fronds using vibrating saw. Concerning the radial compressive strength andstress, after the laboratory test it was noticed that the Tebarzal variety resulted in a significantly higher diagonal compressive andstress strength than others except Khistawi, Tebarzal variety recorded the highest radial compressive strength andlongitudinal compressive stress resulted in a significant difference with other varieties except Khistawi. Bream reported the lowest mechanical properties among other varieties, in contrast to Tebarzal which recorded the highest properties. From previous results, it is concluded that the above studied varieties retains mechanical properties differ from each other, which cause different performance of the pruning process.

This study aimed to observe the effect of oxygen levels during the carotenoid degradation process to produce β-ionone, several parameters have been pointed, including carotenoid levels in CPO before and after the degradation process using a spectrophotometer, the color of the CPO solution before and after degradation using the color flex hunter lab and the β-ionone levels resulting from the degradation of Carotenoids by gas chromatography using a mass spectrometry detector. As the result, it can be stated that the presence of oxygen has influenced the degradation of carotenoids in CPO. The greater the amount of oxygen, the more carotenoids are degraded. The most excellent degradation process was found to be 80%. However, β-ionone was only detected in the air flow treatment of 20 L/h with a value of 0.44 mg/L. The results of this research have shown that the amount of oxygen dramatically influences the formation of β-ionone when the carotenoid degradation process is carried out under hot conditions. This information can be used to develop β-ionone formation technology for future industrial-scale application.

This study was aimed to investigate replacing wheat flour with sesame flour and thyme-affected laboratory-made Cookies. We tested nine substitution levels and a control. Thyme (1, 3, and 5) % and sesame (15, 30, and 50%) % substituted wheat flour. The proportions of thyme and sesame were, ) 1thyme+15 sesame (%,(3thyme+30sesame)%.Moreover, (5 thyme+50 sesame) The chemical composition analysis of the Cookies treatments showed increases in moisture, protein, fat, and ash for treatment A9 (5% thyme and 50% sesame) compared to the control treatment A10, which had 17.90%, 7.60%, and 11.90%, respectively. Treatment A9 (5% thyme + 50% sesame) had 35.8% unsaturated fatty acids. With sesame and thyme replacement ratios, palmitic, linolenic, and oleic acid percentages increased considerably. Raising the thyme replacement ratio alone did not significantly increase. Similarly, replacing thyme and sesame together raised stearic and linoleic acids, but not individually—analysis of Cookies treatments' iron and calcium content. Significant changes (P<0.05) occurred between the control and other treatments. Iron and calcium levels were greatest in treatment A9 (5% thyme + 50% sesame), with 342 and 86.42 ppm per 100g. The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis identified Thymol as the active ingredient in thyme.

This study was designed for the isolation and molecular identification of Clostridium perfringens. From a total of 200 samples, C. perfringens was isolated from 30 samples (25%) of laying hens and confirmed using a PCR assay by amplifying a segment of a gene (16S rDNA gene) from C. perfringens. The result of histopathology study showed severe necrotic area surrounded by inflammatory cells, erosions of the intestinal epithelium, ulceration of the epithelium, villous necrosis finding surrounded by inflammatory cells, vascular congestion, goblet cell hyperplasia. For the type of toxin, the bacterial isolates were analyzed by PCR using specific primers in order to determine the presence of cpa genes (cpb, iA, cpe, cpb2). Among the 30 C. perfringens isolates, 10 isolates were identified (33.33%) with C. She is type A (carrying the alpha toxin gene). Of these 10 isolates, 5 isolates (50%) were identified as type A simplex and 5 (50%) were identified as heterozygous but no None of the isolates carry both cpb2 and cpe genes. As the dominant species, 20 isolates (66.66%) were identified as C. The research concluded that C. perfringens was one of the most important isolates from laying hens, and the toxin type A was identified as heterozygous (carrying cpb2), and type C is the most prevalent toxin in Basrah, and the detected toxins cause pathological changes in the intestine.

Sol-gel, co-precipitation, and photo-deposition techniques were combined to create an effective method for making Fe2O3@SiO2@TiO2-Ag nanoparticles magnetically separable photocatalyst. FTIR, SEM, EDS, and XRD techniques were used to characterize the Ag-doped composite using FTIR, SEM, EDS, and XRD. In addition, the prepared composites' photocatalytic activity was investigated for the degradation of Metronidazole (MTZ). Approximately 96.85% of MTZ had decomposed after 2 hours of exposure to the sunlight with 20 mg/L of nanocomposite at a pH of 5, within 15 m/ L of MTZ. In addition, the outcomes showed that the 1-order kinetic model described the MTZ degradation kinetics. Furthermore, the results present that the Ag-doped composite was extremely efficient and reusable after 5 cycles of separation. Catching photo-generated electrons made charge separation easier by altering magnetic TiO2 with silver nanoparticles, which led to an increase in the enhanced photoactive ability. These results, demonstrating the fabrication Fe2O3@SiO2@TiO2-Ag nanoparticles, hold promising applications for the elimination of pharmaceutical residues in the presence of sun exposure.

This study aimed to prepare and characterize a gas sensor based on porous silicon embedded with CdS using the laser-assisted chemical bath deposition method. The structural and optical properties of CdS thin film prepared at deposition time of 30 min were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The (XRD) results showed that the deposited CdS film was crystalline and the crystallinity of the film improved after using laser during deposition of the film. The value of optical energy gap of the CdS film deposited without and with laser irradiation were found to be 2.5 eV and 2.68 eV, respectively. The gas sensor based on CdS-embedded porous silicon exhibit good sensitivity to H2S gas. The sensor enables rapid detection of toxic H₂S gas, minimizing health and environmental risks and enhancing safety in industrial places.

This study aimed to prepare and characterize a gas sensor based on porous silicon embedded with CdS using the laser-assisted chemical bath deposition method. The structural and optical properties of CdS thin film prepared at deposition time of 30 min were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The (XRD) results showed that the deposited CdS film was crystalline and the crystallinity of the film improved after using laser during deposition of the film. The value of optical energy gap of the CdS film deposited without and with laser irradiation were found to be 2.5 eV and 2.68 eV, respectively. The gas sensor based on CdS-embedded porous silicon exhibit good sensitivity to H2S gas. The sensor enables rapid detection of toxic H₂S gas, minimizing health and environmental risks and enhancing safety in industrial places.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of increased water flow and two different air speeds on water consumption and cooling performance in modify air coolers. An experiment was conducted using an air cooler with an additional water pump to facilitate increased water flow. One Way ANOVA with regression and Tukey was used. Findings revealed that practical water consumption significantly surpassed theoretical estimates, primarily due to heightened resistance encountered by water as it traversed the cooling pads. Notably, the implementation of two water pumps improved cooling, effectively lowering room temperature by7-10 °C (Δt of 9.4°C); however, this enhancement was accompanied by increased power consumption. Statistical analysis showed significant differences in practical water consumption between different treatment groups (Q1S2-Q1S1,Q1S2-Q2S2,Q1S2-Q2S2,Q2S2-Q1S2, Q2S1-Q1S2)(P<0.0003). This research underscores the critical need for effective water management strategies within evaporative cooling systems, particularly in arid regions where water scarcity is a pressing concern. Future research should explore sustainable energy solutions to optimize both water and energy use.