Misan Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Lettuce drop disease caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is an epidemic plant disease and there are urgent economic incentives to control it in ways consistent with the sustainable approach. The study aimed to isolate Trichoderma species from the healthy rhizosphere of lettuce and identify and characterize the most effective isolate against fungal growth and sclerotia. Six isolates of Trichoderma were obtained while the isolate QLZ-2 showed high activity in its antagonism towards S. sclerotiorum in the laboratory. The isolate QLZ-2 was identified as Trichoderma asperellum by morphological and microscopic diagnosis. The laboratory experiment revealed that the isolate QLZ-2 spreads on the surface of sclerotia during the fungal mycoparasitism process in the soil of the dishes. On the other hand, the pot experiment showed that spraying the conidial suspension of the isolate QLZ-2 reduced the symptoms of lettuce fall disease. The severity of lettuce drop disease was reduced by 14.79% compared severity of disease in the water-only spray treatment, which had a 100%.

The current study included early detection of insect pests that infect stored grains using the Multiplex-PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technique. The technique included two experiments conducted using specific primers for each species. These two experiments are as follows: In first experiment three species were identified in wheat grain sample. These species are: an internally infected species Rhyzopertha dominica and two externally infected species Tribolium castaneum and Oryzaephilus mercator . As for the second experiment two species were identified and detected one internally infected Trogoderma granarium and the other externally infected Latheticus oryzae in a red bean sample.

The agricultural sector relies heavily on diesel-powered engines for irrigation, tillage, and transportation, contributing to environmental pollution and high operational costs. The transition to natural gas as an alternative fuel offers significant environmental and economic benefits. Natural gas combustion results in lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced particulate matter, and decreased nitrogen oxides compared to diesel, thereby improving air quality and mitigating climate change. Economically, natural gas is often more cost-effective than diesel, providing farmers with long-term fuel savings and reduced maintenance costs due to cleaner engine operation. This paper explores the environmental advantages and financial feasibility of using natural gas in agricultural engines, emphasizing technological advancements that facilitate its adoption.

The field experiment was carried out on land belonging to a farmer in the Al Bandar area (3 km from the center of Samawah) during the 2022-2023 season to determine the effect of four levels of Azolla extract (45, 30, 15,0 liters ha-1) on three varieties. From barley (AXAD, Ibaa 99, Ibaa 265), the experiment was applied using a completely randomized block design according to the split-plot method and with three replications, with the varieties occupying the main panels and the Azolla levels in the secondary panels. The results showed that the level of 30 liters of ha-1 was significantly superior to the flag leaf area, the flag leaf content of chlorophyll, the length of the spike, and the number of branches per square meter, as it gave averages of (24.48 cm2), (44.63 SPAD), (5.82 cm), and (509.40 beaches m). 2) Sequentially. The results also showed that the Aksad variety was superior in the nitrogen content of the plant, the flag leaf’s chlorophyll content, the length of the spike, and the number of branches per square meter, and gave averages of (2.47%), (45.22 SPAD), (6.17 cm), and (512.50 Shatam-2), respectively, and the variety was superior. Fathers 265 in plant height and leaf area and gave two averages of (104.05 cm) and (23.33 cm2), respectively.

To evaluate the effect of using subsurface water retention technology (SWRT) in rationing added irrigation water and in the growth and yield of Zea mays L., Field experiments were conducted under the subsurface drip irrigation system in two locations: one in the Palm Tissue Research Station affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture in Najaf Governorate. The second location of the experiment was conducted in the research fields of the College of Agriculture in Al-Jadriya, affiliated to the University of Baghdad, for two seasons, spring and autumn of 2016. The study included four treatments: SWRT, organic matter, tillage, and no tillage. The treatments were distributed according to a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates. Zea mays L. seeds were planted and the date and amount of irrigation water were determined for each irrigation after draining 50% of the available water based on the moisture data of GS3-Soil Moisture Sensor to monitor the volumetric moisture content at depths of 15, 30 and 45 cm using Data Logger devices to store and represent the data every four hours and throughout the growing season. The results showed that the use of SWRT technology increased the availability of nutrients in the soil as well as increased the concentration of nutrients in the plant, as the SWRT treatment was superior in increasing the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the vegetative group, as the concentration of nitrogen increased by 26.37%, phosphorus by 43.33% and potassium by 33.33% compared to the plowing treatment in the first season of cultivation for the Baghdad location, and the percentage of increase in the concentration of nitrogen was 35.19%, phosphorus by 32.14% and potassium by 30.32% compared to the plowing treatment for the Najaf location.