IRAQ JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

This experiment was conducted to study the response of maize to nitrogen fertilizer under different irrigation frequency. Completely randomized block design was used with four replicates in split-plots experiment. The main plots included three irrigation treatments: water applied after each 5 to 7 days as a control, after each 10 to 14 days (double irrigation frequency) and alternate
irrigation ones after each 5 to 7 days and once after each 10 to 14 days. Sub plots included four nitrogen rates (0, 100, 150, 200 Kg/ha) added in splits casting. The study results showed that nitrogen addition significantly increase growth and grain yield for all irrigation treatments specially 100 kg N/ha. The response to the highest rate of N applied (200 kg N/ha) occurred only with conventional irrigation method (control) and adding of 100 to 150 Kg/ha was sufficient under double irrigation period and alternate irrigation which gives the best growth and grain yield. Also results showed that adding 20-25 kg N/ha with each 75-100 mm water to the corn seems enough in similar condition of this study.

Tow sorghum Sorghum bicolor 1 (Moench) cultivars, Inqath and Rabeh were sown at three sowing dates 15th of each of June, July and August during the fall season of 2004 at the fields of Field Crops Dept., Agriculture Coll, Univ., of Baghdad. Produced Seed from this trial were collected together for each cultivar of each sowing date, then graded into three sizes (3.1-3.5, 3.6-4.0, and 4.0 mm). The viability and vigour of the seed were tested using randomized complete block design with four replications. The objective of this study was to find out the effect of seed size produced from different sowing dates of both cultivars on germination and seed vigour. Simple correlation between studied characteristics, and seed size was asa tested. Seed of "Inqath" cv. was significantly superior in radical length, plumale length and seedling dry weight at standard germination test (15.8 cm, 7.4 cm and 8.2 mg), respectively. Seed produced from the 15th July sowing date were significantly superior in normal seedling percentage of first count test, standard germination test, radical length, plumule length and seedling dry weight at standard germination test (72.4%, 77.3%, 14.7 cm. 7.4 cm and 8.5 mg), respectively. The seed of size 4.0 mum were significantly superior in normal seedling percentage of first count test, standard germination test, radical length, plumule length, seedling dry weight at standard germination test, normal seedling percentage of cold test and conductivity test (68.1%, 75.8%, 15.2 cm, 8.2 cm, 10.0 mg. 39.5% and 12.8 S.cm. respectively. Positive significant correlations between studied characteristics were found. However significant negative correlations with conductivity test were revealed. Positive significant correlations were found between studied characteristics and seed size, except that of normal seedling percentage of cold test, and significant negative correlation with conductivity test.

A field experiment was conducted in Al-Wahda Research Station -35 km South-East of Baghdad to investigate the salt balance in cultivated soil irrigated with saline water. Mung Bean crop was planted for two seasons (M. M₂) in a rotation with wheat crup. The experiment was carried out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications including two factors: First factor is four levels of salime irrigation water: 1.2, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 ds.m (SSSS); the secund factor is two levels of leaching requirements of 0.15 and 0.25 (LL). Electrical conductivity and soluble cations and anions in the soil for each 10 cm throughout 100 cm depth were measured. After harvesting the weight of grain and straw were measured and the relative yield was calculated. The water use efficiency of the crup was also calculated.
SALTMED computer model was used to predict the salt balance in the soil, The inputs of the model were meteorological data and plant parameters as well as soil properties. The efficiency of the model was tested.
There was a significant decrease in grain yield with increasing salinity of irrigation water. The order of the decrease was 32.0%, 49.8% and 60.2% for Sz, So and St respectively.
The highest grain yield 1.26 tom had was recorded in S, LM, treatment, while straw yield 3.09 ton.h was obtained in SiLML. The threshold value of salinity was influenced by the leaching requirment levels for hoth seasons.It was 3.8 and 4.13 duum for LiM: and LaMa respectively for the first season while was 3.63 and 4.3 dsan for LiMi and L2M1 respectively for the second season. Increasing the salinity of irrigation water caused adecrease in water use efficiency.
The outputs of the SALTMED model reflected the effect of different treatments on the salinity throughout the rountzone. It was concluded that this model was able to predict the yield for all treatments properly. There were good agreements between simulated and observed yield values. The average of differences between these values was 2.49%. The average differences between simulated and observed soil salinity was 10.3% for the 0-100 cm depth as average for M: and Mr. While the maximum difference was 18.6% at 0-30 cm depth for S, level

This experiment was conducted during the season 2005/2006 to investigate the effect of spray for two kinds of foliar fertilizers, Alga 600 at levels (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 g/l.) and Wafeer at levels (0, 1, 2 and 3 g/l.) sprayed twice, the first at the beginning of flowering and the second (20) days after the first spray on the growth and yield of sweet pepper Cv. California wonder under Plastic house conditions using R.C.B.D design with 4 replicates. Results showed a significant effect of two fertilizers on vegetative and quantitative characteristics, Alga 600 at level 0.5 g/l, Wafeer at level 2 g/l caused increase in plant height, branches and leaves number/plant, leaf area/plant, fruits number/plant, fruit weight, yield/plant and yield/plastic house. the highest average in these characteristics were at the interaction of Alga 600 at level 0.5 g/l + Wafeer at level 2 g/l and caused a significant increase in fruits number/plant and fruits weight with percentage of 34, and 29.14% respectively, from control resulting increase in yield/plant and yield/plastic house with percentage of 72.89 and 72.97% respectively

Studies were carried out on seventeen isolates of Trichoderma spp. TH,TV,T1,T2,T3, T8, T11, T160, T162, T191, T194, 195, T197,T201,T207, T211, and T212 aimed to detect some mechanisms of resistance induction in cotton throughout the activity of peroxidase enzyme in cotton seedlings of cultivar Coker 310 and the role of these mechanisms in suppressing of Rhizoctonia solani in cotton seedlings along with detection the ethylene produced from some Trichoderma isolates. Results of peroxidase activity indicated that isolates T211, TV, T160, T191, T11, T194 and T195 have a tendency to induce resistance in cotton seedlings which reflected in significant increase of peroxidase activity in cotton seedling tissues following seed treatments with dry preparations of these isolates. The results of Gas Chromatography of atmospheres of growth culture indicated that TV, T160, and T194 of Trichoderma spp. be able to produce ethylene while no ethylene was detected when T2 and T3 were used. However, contrary to 12 and T3, the isolates TV, T160, and T194 caused significant increase in peroxidase activity.

The aim of this study was to improve the nutritional status of potato plants and to provide nutrients through foliar application in various stages of growth in order to achieve appropriate nutritional balance as a mean to increase yield of potato plants and improve its quality. Using "Desiree" variety of potato, the field experiment was carried out in two spring seasons of the years 2001 and 2002 in a private fields with sandy clay silt soil located south of the Al-Mada'in city (35 km south of Baghdad). The experiment was designed using indiscriminate full design sectors of Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Thirty treatments of different combinations of K, Ca, Mg, Zn and B were distributed randomly in three replications. The foliar spry of the different treatments was applied in three different stages of plants' growth, the first application was applied 45 days after emergence of vegetative growth on the soil surface, the second one was 15 days after the first application while the third one was 15 days after the second application. Observations on quantitative and qualitative characters of tuber yield were taken after tuber dry curing. Results showed efficient foliar applications of K and B in increasing average of tuber weight, which reflected an increase in a total yield subsequently increase in marketable yield with the involvement of other elements within other combinations that commensurate with the nutritional status of the plants. The foliar application of fertilizer, particularly the two combinations of K+Ca+B and K+Mg+Zn+B in three stages of growth led to improved tubers' quality characteristics increasing their economic value. In addition, the possible effect of foliar application on qualitative density of tubers, the K application cause reduction in qualitative density of tubers, whereas, application of other balanced nutrient combinations may increase the qualitative density of tubers.

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to study the effect of different levels of degradable and undegradable protein in the rumen (high-low, medium-medium, and low-high) in rations containing the same level of nitrogen and energy on daily feed intake, quantity and composition of milk. The experiment was a series78
of 3×3 Latin Squares design. So that each group of cows received each treatment once during the experimental period (3 weeks). The first two weeks was considered a preliminary period and the third week as an experimental period. Cows were also fed a straw ad libtum. During the experimental period daily yield was recorded, and milk samples was collected.
Result revealed that the level of degradable protein in the rumen has no significant effect on daily feed intake.
Milk production was significantly higher in a treatment 1 (10.97 kg) in comparison with treatment 2(10.62 kg) and 3(10.76kg). Result indicates that the effect of treatments on milk protein percent (4.268, 4.268 and 4.344%) fat (2.955, 3.077 and 2.966%) ash (0.69, 0.67 and 0.67%) and PH (6.176, 6.177 and 6.176) was not significant. Where as, the effect of treatment on total solid (11.963, 12.463 and 12.311%) and solid not fat (9.008, 9.386 and 9.345%) was significant.

The aim of the present study was to determine the fetal numbers using real-time ultrasonography. Forty seven Awassi ewes were treated with intravaginal sponges containing 40 mg progesterone for 14 days and then injected intramuscularly with 500IU of eCG on the day of sponges withdrawal, the ewes were mated naturally, and examined by real-time ultrasonography at days 14-40 after breeding, The results showed that the accuracy of determination of fetal number increased with progressing of gestation period and reaching approximately 85.1-97% between days 36-40 of gestation.

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of uropygealectomy (Iraqi method) with elevation of dietary Calcium on some blood parameters of commercial layers (ISA Brown) during summer season in Iraq for the production period 54-70 weeks of age.
Five hundred and seventy six caged laying hens at age of 52 weeks were used in the experiment uropygealectomy was applied for half of the total layers (288 layers) Hems were randomly distributed for four treatments (with four ruplicants with 144 hens for each treatment and fed with two dietary calcium level.
The four experimental treatments my be summerited as follow:
TI-Nou uropygealectomized bems fed on astandered diet with 3.5%dietary calciumiu-sed as control).
12- Non uropygealectomized hens fed on adiet elevated it's calcium to 4.5%.
13- Urupygealectomized hens fed diet 3.5% dietry calcium.
T4-Uropygealectomized hens fed on adiet with high dietary calcium (4.5%).
Blood samples were collected every 5 weeks and the following characteristics were measured: Packed Cell Volume (PCV), the concentration of Calcium, Cholesterul, Protein and Glucose, the activity of ALT and AST enzymes in the blood serum samples.
Results indicated that uropygaletomy caused significant (p<0.01) changes. in all blood parameters. Blood samples from hens in Ta and Te treatments had higher serum Calcium, Cholesterol, protein and PCV when campered with control group (T
Uropygialetumy cased asgnificant (p<0.01) decrease in serum glucose concentration and in AST and ALT enzymes activity.

The present study was conducted on the fishery of Al-Rathwania lake, west Baghdad during the period from August 2000 to July 2001. Eighteen fish species were collected which are belonging to Cyprinidae (13 species), Mugilidae, Siluridae, Heteropneustidae, Bagridae, Mastacembelidae (one species for each family). The study includes description of the structures of fish assemblages with monthly and seasonally fluctuations in the abundance the influence of some ecological factors such as water temperature, transparency, dissolved oxygen which has a significant effect on catch than the other factors such as salinity, pH. The study was carried out to calculating some indexes such as, richness, similarity, and diversity and related with ecological factors. Similarity index ranged between 44.44 in December and January to 78.57 in July, while richness index ranged between 0.52 in January and 2.03 in July, October, and the ranged of number, weighting diversity was 1.22-2.29 and 0.92-2.31 respectively. According to results of richness index and number, weight diversity index, summer was the best catch season.
College of Veterinary Medicine-Baghdad Univ.- Baghdad, Iraq