Tikrit Journal for Agricultural Sciences

Changes to the physico-chemical conditions of treated water affect the biological traits of the
aquatic organisms. There are water quality issues in rearing fish using a recirculating
aquaculture system. Certain technologies for water treatment to improve its quality are highly
energy intensive and expensive to use, thus implying high investment and operating costs.
There is needed to look for novel method of water treatment which not only improves water
quality and fish growth performance but is also cost effective and energy efficient to face
climate change, lack of rain, and consequently fresh water scarcity, especially in the countries
most affected in the Middle East. Any improvement by incorporating the mechanical and
biological filter in one unit of an aquaponics intensive system is important in order to improve
its efficiency and aquaculture yield. By incorporating a plant, namely: strawberry, peppermint,
cucumber, and okra as a biological filtration to absorb the nutrient disintegrated additional to
the green sponge layer and gravel as a mechanical filtration even for control treatment,
aquaculture may become more sustainable in the future. After the acclimation interval, 24
tanks were stocked with 7 fish of an average initial weight of 15.74g. However, treatments
were assigned to each container at random to make five treatments. First, this work evaluated
the gravel fine mesh was used in the control treatment, strawberry, peppermint, cucumber, and
okra, as a biofilter media in an aquaponics system. The results showed a significant effect on
common carp average growth performance for cucumber and okra compared to the control
treatment. However, a better growth performance for common carp culture in water-exposed
cucumber and okra demonstrated significant improvement of FCR. Hence, improve in fish
productivity in aquaponics system. There is a significant effect on cell counts and plasma
enzyme and biochemistry conditions in strawberry, peppermint, cucumber, and okra biofilter
medias. The liver cells and gills of the fishes grown in strawberry, peppermint, cucumber, and
okra exhibited a normal sinusoid organisation with no indications of lesions or abnormalities
of the hepatocytes. In briefly, the study elucidates the interests of using strawberry,
peppermint, cucumber, and okra as a biofilter unit for aquaculture due to improved growth
performance of common carp fish.

Field experiments were conducted at the Agricultural Research Station of the College of
Agriculture, University of Basrah, in Al-Hartha District, Basrah Governorate, to study the
effect of soil moisture and plowing depth on the performance of a soil plowing machine
consisting of a subsoiler plow, two shallow tins with wings on the outside, and addition to a
disc harrows, including requirements draft force, soil disturbance, and Mean Weight Diameter
(MWD). The machine has an important role in the plowing operations and preparing for
agriculture in one operation, this will lessen the traffic times and the other economic works,
the subsoil plowing, and the fragmentation of soil. The machine was used with and without
discs for three levels of soil moisture content (SMC) (9, 18, and 28%), and three plowing
depths (40, 50, and 60cm). The experiments were applied using a randomized complete block
design (RCBD) of a factorial experiment (3 x 3 x 2) with three replications. The results showed
a variation in the requirements of the draft force when the SMC changes, the values of draft
force were 33.3, 32.64, and 31.66kN for the SMC of 9, 28, and 18%, respectively. Adding
discs had a significant effect on the draft force it increased by 1.11kN. The draft force increased
when the plowing depth was increased, the depth of 60cm gave the highest value of 35.92kN.
The SMC of 18% was recorded as the largest disturbed area at 0.42m2 and the least MWD by
31.59mm, followed by the SMC of 28% and then 9%, it was the least disturbed area at 0.38
and 0.35m2, and MWD by 40.25 and 38.65mm respectively. The depth of 60cm is recorded as
the largest disturbed area of 0.51m2, and MWD 30.59mm. The addition of discs decreased the
MWD by 6.9 mm compared to the absence of discs.

The experiment was conducted at the Department of Horticulture and Landscape at the College
of Agriculture, Tikrit University, during fall of 2022. The aim was to investigate the effects of
three factors on growth and flowering attributes of Senna surattensis. The first factor
represented three drip irrigation methods full irrigation (FI) 100% on both sides, deficit
irrigation (50%) on one side, and partial root-zone drying (PRD) with a 50% rate. The second
factor involved adding hydrogel polymers SWT (soil water trap) at three levels 5 g plant-1, 10
g plant-1, well as without polymers. The third factor NPK fertilizer (12:12:36), applied 10 g
plant-1 and without fertilizer. The randomized complete block design was used in this study.
Data of number of vegetative branches, number of floral branches, plant height, weight of
inflorescence, and total chlorophyll content were collected. The findings demonstrated that
each treatments of (FI), 10 g plant-1 NPK fertilizer, and 10 g plant-1 polymer application had
significant influences on the number of vegetative, and floral branches, plant height,
inflorescence weight, and total chlorophyll content compared to rest of the treatments. The
results also showed that interactions between (FI) and each of 10 g plant-1 polymer, 10 g plant
1 NPK were significant compared to others.

This study was conducted at the College of Agriculture and Marshlands, Thi Qar University
during the growing season of 2021 to study the effect of sodium chloride and fulvic acid and
their interactions on some antioxidant enzymes of the leaves of date palm offshoots, a Nabayti
cultivar, resulting from tissue culture. The study was implemented as a factorial experiment
according to a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD) with two factors, the first is
sodium chloride at four concentrations (0, 50, 100 and 150) mM, and the second is fulvic acid
at three concentrations (0, 2.5 and 5) g L-1 with three replicates for each treatment. The results
showed that the fulvic acid treatment at a concentration of (5 g L-1) achieved the highest
averages of activity of peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzymes
(10.738, 26.357 and 25.681) units g-1 min-1 respectively, compared to the control treatment.
The sodium chloride treatment at a concentration of (150 mM) achieved the highest averages
of activity of peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzymes (13,429 and 26,556) units g-1 min
1 respectively, while the concentration (10 mM) achieved the highest average of activity of
glutathione peroxidase enzyme (26,277 units g-1 min-1) compared to the control treatment. The
interaction treatment between (sodium chloride at a concentration of (150 mM) and fulvic acid
at a concentration of (5 g L-1) achieved the highest averages of activity of peroxidase,
glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzymes (14,580 and 28,267 and 27,623)
units g-1 min-1 respectively, compared to the control treatment.

The study aimed at evaluating the efficiency of Bacillus subtilis bacterium, Ganoderma
lucidum fungus, and Spirulina platansis alga extract on two varieties (Barcelona and a local
variety) of Broad bean plants in an attempt to reduce the negative impact of yellow mosaic
virus on broud bean (BYMV) through stimulating plant systemic resistance. The results
obtained showed significant effects of the biocontrol agents investigated in reducing the
severity of infection and increasing growth parameters of the treated plants in both individual
and combinational treatments. The triple combinational treatment with Barcelona variety
achieved a significant difference in reducing the severity of infection by 16.17% as compared
with that of the corresponding treatment with the local variety. Additionally, a significant
increase in growth parameters including, plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll ratio, and fruit
setting ratio of 42.33 cm, 44.77 cm2, 55.56 SPAD-502 meter readings, and 22.56%,
respectively, was observed.

The application of biochar has aroused great interest. Still, our understanding of the behavior
of biochar with soil properties and its relationship with potassium forms on soil health in
gypsum soils is limited. Biochar is a carbon-rich product that is used as a means to improve
soil properties. Twelve soil samples have been collected from some gypsiferous soils in Iraq
to determine the different forms of potassium and their relation with clay mineralogy and other
soil properties. Collect soil samples were put in small plastic pots and adding biochar at a rate
of 5 gm. Kg-1 for each soil to evaluate the effect of biochar on potassium forms. The X-ray
diffraction showed that smectite was the dominant mineral in the studied soils followed by
Illite, Kaolinite, Palygoriskite and Chlorite clay fractions. Results showed that biochar
application improved all potassium forms and soil chemical characteristics. Biochar addition
increased all potassium forms, from (0.011-0.041) to (0.031-0.075) (Cmolec Kg-1), from (0.05
0.19) to (0.08-0.22) (Cmolec Kg-1) and from (0.15-0. 41) to (0.25-0.61) (Cmolec Kg-1) for
soluble, exchangeable and non-exchangeable potassium before and after adding biochar
respectively. Whereas increased soil cation exchange capacity from (4.8-11) to (9.8-18)
Cmolckg-1 and organic matter from (3.5-13) to (7.9-19) gm. Kg-1. It was found that the
correlation coefficient between potassium forms for all soils after adding biochar was high and
positive except for the pH.

The study aimed to describe the histological features of Pancreas and
Duodenum in Common Moorhen (Galinula choropus), Barn Owl (Tyto
alba) and common Budgie (Melopsittacus undulatus). Compare
histological parameters of Pancreas and Duodenum among these birds. In
the current study, Histochemistry of Pancreas showed that the use of
Masson trichrome staining in Owl’s pancreas shows presence of collagen
fibers in the septa between lobes and also within the capsule surrounded the
organ. while this stain shows positive reaction only in capsule in Moorhen
and Budgie bird pancreas. Owl bird and budgerigar bird pancreas show
positive reaction to Alcian blue stain. Alcian blue –PAS mixture in Owl
pancreas shows the presence of mucin around the interlober ducts and in
the exocrine portions. Moorhen bird pancreas has more mucin in the
interlober ducts and exocrine portion than that of Owl’s pancreas.
Histochemistry of the duodenum by the use of Masson Trichrom staining
in Budgie bird showed the presence of collagen fibers in the serosa and the
core of the villi and in the submucosa, moorhen bird duodenum shows the
presence of collagen fibers in submucosa as well as in serosa and within
muscularis layer. While Alcian blue in Budgie bird show that presence of
acidic sulphated mucin within submucosa and muscularis and serosa.
Alcian blue –PAS mixture stain showed the duodenum of the three birds
expresses the goblet cells positively reacted to this stain due to the presence
of acid mucine within.

The success of propagation by cutting depends on stimulating root development. Therefore,
this study\\'s objective was to determine the effects of three natural substances (Turmeric,
Cinnamon, and Licorice in powder form and control) with wounding the cuttings from the
basal of the cutting at two different levels of 1 and 2 cm on the vegetative and root properties
of” Rizhawi” fig cuttings. The results showed that using turmeric and cinnamon with 1 or 2
cm basal wounding was better than the control. Generally, they recorded the highest root and
vegetative characteristics than the other treatments. For the wounding impact, the 2cm basal
wounding significantly enhanced root and vegetative characteristics compared to the 1 cm
basal wounding. Cuttings treated with turmeric and 2cm basal wounding recorded the
significantly highest results in both vegetative characteristics such as (shoot number, leaves
number, shoot length, shoot diameter, leaf area, wet vegetative weight, and dry vegetative
weight of fig cuttings) and root characteristics such as (root number, root length, root diameter,
wet root weight, and dry root weight of fig cuttings) compared to the control. Therefore,
turmeric can be advised, followed by cinnamon, and then licorice following organic farm
regulations.

In light of the water scarcity for most Iraqi agricultural areas, especially after
the decline in the water level of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to nearly a
third. Solutions become necessary to improve water-crop productivity and
achieve the sustainable cultivation of strategic crops through using soil
amendments, which reduces the soil water loss. Therefore, this research was
conducted at, Al-Raeeid Research Station, Baghdad, Iraq, to study the effect
of adding compost fertilizer (7500 kg ha-¹) and perlite (250 kg ha-¹) to wheat
and barley crops that were irrigated with two irrigation levels (when
exhausting 30% and 50% of the available soil water). The results showed that
wheat growth and productivity decreased with increasing water stress of 50%,
while opposite results were obtained from the barley crop. The wheat crop
showed more sensitivity to the 50% level, but this level did not appear
stressful for the barley crop. Also, adding compost and perlite improved
wheat growth and yield indicators, which showed a greater response to
compost, while barley responded to perlite more than to compost. This study
concluded that the combination of compost and irrigation level of 30%
presented the highest water-wheat productivity. In comparison, the
combination of perlite and irrigation level of 50% presented the highest
water-barley productivity.

The study aimed at the effect of gold nanoparticles and the drug Domperidone on the
reproductive system of local female rabbits. In this study, female rabbits whose weight ranged
between (1500-1700 gm) were divided into four treatments. Each transaction includes five
transactions. The first group includes (control group) and was given water and food only, and
the second group was dosed orally the drug Domperidone in the form of a syrup at a dose of
(0.3) mg / kg at a rate of three times a day with water and food, and the third group was dosed
with a gold nano solution at a dose of 0.05 mg / kg and a concentration of mg 3.271 * 10-7
and the diameter of the gold particle is 60 nm and it was given orally to rabbits at a rate of
once a day for two days only per week with water, and the fifth group (the drug group + gold
nanoparticles) where they were dosed Domperidone at a dose of 0.3 mg / kg orally and a
solution of gold nanoparticles was dosed at a dose of 0.05 mg / kg, a concentration of 3.271
mg * 10-7, and a gold particle diameter of 60 nm, and it is given once a day for two days only
in a week, and also with water and food. It was dosed to all groups for a period of (50) days.
The dose of the first gold nanoparticles solution and the drug Domperidone in the rabbits
resulted in a decrease in the concentration of the LH hormone compared with the control group
and a decrease in the concentration of the LH hormone when they were dosed with the drug +
gold nanoparticles group. One of the main histological effects observed in our study was the
lysis of the primary follicle in the ovary of the Domperidone group

أُجريت هذه الدراسة في حقول كلية الزراعة - جامعة تكريت، بهدف تحليل تأثير استراتيجيات الإثراء البيئي على الأداء الإنتاجي والسلوك وجودة الهواء في مساكن فروج اللحم. شملت الدراسة 180 طيراً من نوع روز 308، موزعة على أربع معاملات: طريقة التربية التجارية القياسية، وصناديق بلاستيكية مظلمة، وسلال خوص، وصناديق قش. بحثت هذه الدراسة في كيفية تأثير أداء نمو فروج اللحم، مثل وزن الجسم، وكمية العلف المستهلكة، ونسبة التحويل الغذائي. ولاحظت الدراسة أن التحفيز البيئي كان له تأثير ضئيل على الأداء الإنتاجي لفروج اللحم. أما فيما يتعلق بسلوك الطيور، فقد لوحظ أن استخدام صناديق القش وسلال الخوص شجع على سلوكيات طبيعية مختلفة، مثل الاستحمام بالغبار وتنظيف الريش، وخفف من أشكال التوتر الأخرى، مثل نقر الريش. وارتبطت الصناديق البلاستيكية الداكنة بسلوكيات مفرطة مرتبطة بالتوتر والقلق، مثل الوقوف والمشي والقفز ونقر الريش. لذلك، تؤكد هذه النتائج على ضرورة توفير نوع مناسب من المأوى يلبي احتياجات الطيور بشكل أفضل، ويشبه بيئتها إلى حد كبير. كما لم تُسجل هذه الدراسة أي اختلافات في ظروف الهواء بالنسبة للمعايير مع الطيور التي خضعت لمعاملات اثراء بيئي مختلفة؛ ويُظهر هذا التباين ضرورة دمج الاثراء البيئي في مزارع فروج اللحم دون المساس بجودة الهواء التي تؤثر على فروج اللحم. تُعد هذه النتيجة مهمة لأن الدراسات السابقة أظهرت أن سوء جودة الهواء يُسبب أمراض الجهاز التنفسي، وانخفاض كفاءة العاملين، ويُضر برفاهية فروج اللحم.

بما أن الزراعة في العراق تواجه تحديات تغير المناخ، لا سيما مع تفضيل استهلاك الخضروات المحلية، أصبح تحديد تحمل الجفاف للأصناف المحلية وتطوير استراتيجيات لتخفيف تأثيره من أولويات البحث الأساسية. كان الهدف من هذه الدراسة هو تخفيف الجهد المائي خلال مراحل الانبات االبصل الابيض المحلي (Allium cepa L. var. local white) والذي يزرع ويستهلك بكثرة في كردستان. لذلك، حامض الأسكوربيك (Asc) بتركيز 1.5 و2.5 ملي مول ولفترة 12 و24 ساعة كمركب استخدم لمعاملة البذور قبل الزراعة والبولي إيثيلين جلايكول 8000 (PEG8000) بتركيز 50 و100 غرام لكل لتر كمحفز لجهد الماء استخدم في هذه التجربة . صفات انبات البذور ونمو البادرات سجلت تدريجيا. طاقة الإنبات بعد أربعة أيام (GE4) وقدرة الإنبات (GC) تحسنت بعد معاملة البذور ب 1.5 ملي مول Asc ولمدة 12 ساعة. اعلى دليل الانبات GRI بنسبة 9% واقل معدل وقت الانبات MGT سجل بمعاملة البذور ب 3 ملي مول Asc بينما الزراعة المباشرة انتجت اقل GRI 6.5%. عززت معاملة 1.5 ملي مول Asc نمو الجذير والرويشة ، مع ملاحظة أطول طول للجذير (4.2 سم) في البذور المنقوعة لمدة 12 ساعة والمعرضة لـ 50 غرام/لتر PEG8000. تبرز هذه النتائج أهمية تحسين نقع Asc وفهم تأثيرات الجهد المائي لتعزيز نمو شتلات البصل ومقاومتها. نوصي بأن يتبنى المزارعون في كردستان والعراق تقنيات نقع Asc لتعزيز مقاومة الجفاف في محاصيل البصل. ينبغي أن تركز الأبحاث المستقبلية على تحسين تركيزات Asc واستكشاف استراتيجيات إضافية لتخفيف الإجهاد لمحاصيل رئيسية أخرى في المنطقة.

يُعرَّف لبان الذكر بأنه مادة راتينجية تُستخدم على نطاق واسع في علاج الحالات الالتهابية وامراض اخرى بسبب خصائصه العلاجية كمضاد للالتهابات ومضاد قوي للاكسدة . صممت هذه الدراسة لمعرفة التأثيرات الفسلجية للمستخلص المائي للبان الذكر على الجهاز التناسلي والهرمونات الأيضية في ذكور الجرذان البالغة. خضعت أربع مجاميع من ذكور الجرذان البالغة (10 جرذان لكل مجموعة) للتجربة .المجموعة الاولى (السيطرة) تم تغذيتها على علف طبيعي، المجموعة الثانية تمت تغذيتها على علف عالي الدهون، المجموعة الثالثة تمت تغذيتها على علف طبيعي فضلا عن تجريعها بمستخلص لبان الذكر ١٠٠٠ ملغم/ كغم يوميا لمدة 60 يوما، المجموعة الرابعة تمت تغذيتها على علف غني بالدهون فضلا عن تجريعها بمستخلص لبان الذكر ١٠٠٠ ملغم/ كغم يوميا لمدة ٦٠ يوما. اظهرت النتائج إلى أن المعاملة بالعلف عالي الدهون أدت إلى حدوث فرط الدهون في الدم رافقه انخفاضا معنويا (p≤0.05) في مستوى هرمون التستوستيرون ، هرمون الأنسولين وهرمون المحفزللغدة الدرقية، فضلا عن انخفاض معنوي (p≤0.05) في مستوى انزيمات مضادات للأكسدة (الكلوتاثيون ، سوبر اوكسايد ديسميوتيز وانزيم الكاتاليز) مصحوبا بارتفاع معنوي(p≤0.05) في مستوى المالوندالديهايد والسايتوكينات مثل (انترلوكين 6، انترلوكين -1بيتا ، عامل نخر الورم الفا) في الدم. كما لوحظ تاثير مثبط للخصوبة تمثل في انخفاض معنوي(p≤0.05) في عدد الحيامن ونسبة الحركة ونسبة الحيامن الحية مع ارتفاع معنوي ((p≤0.05 في نسبة الحيامن الميتة والمشوه. ادت المعاملة بالمستخلص المائي للبان الذكر إلى تحسين الخلل المحدث أعلاه على مستويات الخصوبة، الايض ومعايير الإجهاد التاكسدي. يستنتج من الدراسة الحالية أن للبان الذكر ومستخلصاته تأثيرات إيجابية على عدة مستويات في الجسم منها معايير الخصوبة لدى الذكور فضلا عن تأثيره المضاد للأكسدة والمضاد للالتهاب والخافض لدهون الدم.