Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences

The genus Eucalyptus belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is a large tree with several uses due to its content of some useful active components. These phytochemical components have been used for many years to treat various illnesses. The extraction process and identification of these components are essential points to maximize and develop the level of content. The extraction of essential oil from the eucalyptus leaf was investigated using hydrodistillation based on four locations in the Sulaimani region. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity was also studied using a free radical scavenging assay. The highest essential oil content was noticed in Qara Dagh in both fresh and dry leaves (2.33% and 4.67%), while the lowest level of fresh leaves was detected in Sharbazher (1.27%) and dry leaves in Kalar (2.40%). Fifty-eight chemical components were identified in eucalyptus essential oil using GC-MS analysis. Eucalyptol and α-pinene were found to be major components at all locations. The greatest amounts of eucalyptol and α-pinene were observed in Qara Dagh (52.309±0.967% at 6.163 min) and (14.652±0.194 % at 3.703 min), respectively. The essential oil scavenging effect indicated that the Sharbazher location gave a maximum scavenging effect of 60.156%. Compared to the lowest scavenging effect, which was achieved by the Qara Dagh location with a value of 47.613%.

Natural bentonite's potential as a sustainable solution for removing environmental contaminants makes it a promising candidate for addressing agricultural water quality challenges. This study evaluates whether natural bentonite can adsorb tetracycline (TC) from water-based solutions, offering a viable approach to improving water quality in agricultural settings. Under conditions of pH 7, 80 mg/L of tetracycline, 1 g/100 mL of natural bentonite, a 120-minute reaction period, 200 rpm of agitation, and a temperature of 25°C, the bentonite effectively adsorbed tetracycline. Analytical techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), were used to characterize the bentonite, revealing a surface area of 37.13 m²/g. The isotherm study showed that the sorption of tetracycline onto NB fitted the Langmuir isotherm model with coefficient of determination (R2) equal to 0.961. Our findings underscore the applicability of natural bentonite for mitigating antibiotic contamination in wastewater.

The objective of this study was to examine the presence of the most crucial genes mrpI, ureC, and zapA associated with the virulence of Proteus species isolated from chicken meat and human sources, with the goal of better understanding how they spread via the food chain. Between March and September 2023, two hundred chicken meat samples were collected from local supermarkets, and 120 human urine samples were evaluated in Wasit province hospitals, Iraq. The study found that P. mirabilis and P. vulgaris were isolated at a rate of 13 and 4%, respectively, from 200 chicken meat samples. However, the isolation rate in humans was 25 and 6.6%, with 30 and 8 isolates from 120 urine samples. Data revealed that contamination with P. mirabilis boosts the risk by 3.40 times compared to P. vulgaris. Molecular analysis showed that the ureC and zapA genes were identified in both isolates at 100 and 99%, respectively. In comparison, the mrpI gene existed in all isolates derived from chicken flesh and human samples at 99%. These findings demonstrate that bacteria can cause infection and disease due to the existence of virulence genes that control mechanisms such as biofilm formation, toxin release, and tissue invasion. The discovery of these bacteria in human food emphasizes maintaining the highest health and safety standards when preparing and processing meat for human consumption.

This study was carried out to measure the pathogenesis and molecular identity of an isolated Newcastle disease virus in a broiler farm with more than 85% mortality. Samples (swabs and tissue from the air sac, proventriculus, lung, trachea, and kidney) from broiler chickens were collected having difficulty breathing, depression, nasal discharge, and haemorrhage spots in the gastrointestinal tract. The extracted RNA was used in Real-Time PCR for NDV diagnosis. Specific primer for the partial Fusion gene amplification was used in conventional PCR, and the product was sequenced. In the results, there was clear heavy bleeding in the proventriculus and massive haemorrhagic dots in the gizzard and small intestines. The Real-Time PCR was successful in detecting the viral RNA, and the primer set was specific for partial F gene amplification in the conventional PCR. The nucleotide sequence of the NDV isolate was 20.1%–21.3% variable with all three vaccines used in the area, and it’s named Duhok/Iraq/2023 in the GenBank (Accession number: PQ368580). Further, this sequence shared 98.3% sequence identity with Class II and its sub-genotype VII.1.1. This study reveals the weakness behind the vaccination program against circulated NDV, and further studies are needed for evaluating the available or new vaccines against this disease.

This study was aimed to produce and evaluate 30 triple cross hybrids generated by crossing ten single hybrids with five genetically diverse inbred lines. A field experiment was conducted using five inbred lines of maize: (1) NADH 102, (2) NASA 2022, (3) NAEL 2022, (4) NA 9928 E, and (5) NADH 2006. In the first spring season 2022, the genetic materials used by half-diallel crosses program to produce (10) single crosses. In the fall season, parental inbred lines and single crosses were subjected to a triple hybridization program. The results of this study revealed signif-icant differences among the genotypes, of triple hybrid (2×5) ×3 produced the highest yield per unit area for both seasons at 23.41 and 23.55 tons ha-1. But did not significantly differ from the triple hybrids (1×3) ×2, (2×3) ×4, and (2×4) ×1, which yielded 22.19, 22.82, and 20.88 tons ha-1, respectively. The superiority of the triple hybrid (2×5) ×3 could be attributed to its higher, in-creased number of kernel row per ear, resulting in a higher weight of ears, which reached 556.5 and 553.4 gm for both seasons, as well as the highest yield per individual plant, reaching 439.2 and 441.5 grams.

This study was conducted at the Plant Protection Directorate / Technical Departments Complex in 2023 to identify the causal agent of white mold disease and evaluate the effectiveness of the fungicide Topsin M 70 and silicon oxide in controlling disease progression, infection rate, and severity. The results indicated that the Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (SS5) isolate exhibited the highest pathogenicity, with an infection rate of 100% and a severity of 82.5%. DNA electrophoresis analysis of the SS5 isolate revealed a single band with a molecular weight of 550 bp, showing 100% similarity to globally registered isolates in the NCBI gene bank. The nucleotide sequences were registered under accession number OR497817. The application of nano-silicon oxide (0.001 g/L), conventional silicon oxide (3 g/L), and the chemical fungicide Topsin M 70 (1 g/L) as foliar sprays on Solanum melongena cultivars Wasam and Barcelona exhibited protective effects. The chemical fungicide provided complete disease suppression, recording 0% infection rate and severity in both cultivars. Nano-silicon oxide resulted in an infection rate of 13.87% and severity of 5.44%, while conventional silicon oxide recorded 63.16% infection rate and 7.43% severity, compared to the control, which showed 50% infection rate and 25.69% severity. The area under the disease progression curve (AUDPC) was 130.95 and 143.21 in the control treatment, but it dropped to 0% with the application of the chemical fungicide.

This study was conducted to identify the causal agent of root and stem rot in cucumber plants grown in open sandy soil and to control it both in the laboratory and in the field using silicon and urea. The isolation and diagnosis results revealed 39 isolates associated with the disease, including the fungus Fusarium redolens. Molecular diagnosis of the most Aggressive Isolate , FR342a and FR342b, confirmed their identification as F. redolens with 100% match to global isolates. Laboratory results showed that silicon-amended culture media at concentrations of 2%, 4%, and 6% inhibited the growth of the pathogenic fungal F.redolens colony by 66-100%. where the concentration of 4%, 6% superiority with inhibition rate of 100%. In contrast, urea -amended culture media at concentrations of 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8% achieved 100% inhibition of fungal F.redolens growth. In the field, the 4% silicon treatment was most effective, reducing disease severity to 42.65% followed by the 0.6% urea treatment, which reduced disease severity to 45.82%. All treatments provided effective disease control and positively impacted growth parameters, including branch length, number of branches, fruit count, fruit weight, and the wet and dry weights of the root system.

This study examined the effect of replacing local feed mixture with protein concentrate in broiler feed on production, histological, and microbial characteristics. The study was conducted on 200 one-day-old broiler chicks of Ross 308, randomly divided into four treatments, 50 chicks per treatment, with five replicates and 10 chicks per replicate. The control treatment (T1) was fed 5% protein concentrate, while the protein concentrate in the other treatments (T4, T3, T2) was replaced with protein concentrate in varying proportions (2%, 2.5%, 3%). The feed mixture contains several components, including the carrier materials, which are potato peels at a rate of 33%, and active materials, which are a group of amino acids represented by (methionine, lysine and threonine) and a group of herbs represented by (turmeric, cumin, anise, coriander, cinnamon) in addition to a biological enzyme, a biological antitoxin and probiotic in addition to a mixture of vitamins, minerals and oil. The results showed no significant differences in body weight, feed consumption, weight gain, or feed conversion ratio at the age of (0-39 days). As for the fourth treatment, it led to a significant decrease in the number of bacteria and an increase in villi length. The study concluded that it is possible to replace 3% local feed with 5% imported protein concentrate without negative effects on broiler chickens.

The objective of this research is to measure the efficiency of the performance of the cultivation of Corn crop of the two rivers variety using the DEAP program to measure technical and economic efficiency and measure total productivity based on the Malmquist index for a sample of 60 farmers in the governorates of Salahdin and Kirkuk for the year 2023. The average technical efficiency was 0.858 and the average cost efficiency was 0.604 When measuring the total production efficiency and using the Malmquist index, it was found that the average change in total productivity reached 1.264 The average change in technical efficiency was 1.015 and technical change was 1.237. It can be concluded through these results that the application of modern technologies and the use of improved seeds (the Mesopotamian variety) resulted in the use of productive resources efficiently and then helped farmers to obtain rewarding profits by reducing the costs of growing this variety due to government support for it, so we recommend By expanding the cultivation of this variety and continuing to support the producers of this variety to achieve the desired production levels of the Corn crop in the future.

The study looks at the effect of an ad libitum complete feed system on feed intake, digestibility, and blood biochemical parameters in goat bucks. There are two experiments with Two roughage-to-concentrate ratios (70:30 and 50:50), each with varying acetate levels (0%, 2%, 3%). The rations involved treated and untreated roughage sources like palm fronds and wheat straw. The first experiment had four treatments (T1,T2,T3 and T4) with the 70:30 ratio and acetate levels. The second experiment used fimilar number of bucks but with a 50:50 ratio, resulting in (T5,T6,T7 and T8) . The design was a 2x4 factorial, completely randomized. The results showed that the 50:50 ratio with urea-treated roughage and 2% acetate (T6, T7) performed best, The dry matter intake in the T6 treatment increased to 1,215 g/day. Similarly, the organic matter intake reached an average of 1,104 g/day, while crude protein consumption was 171 g/day. Ether extract intake amounted to 44 g/day, and crude fiber consumption reached 297 g/day. Additionally, the nitrogen-free extract intake increased to 591 g/day, whereas the metabolizable energy intake averaged 13.18 g/day, improving intake, digestibility, TDN, and blood parameters. The conclusion is that 50% urea-treated roughage with 50% concentrate and 2% acetate enhances feed intake and digestibility, mitigates ammonia issues from urea, and improves rumen efficiency.

The field component of this study was conducted at the Ruminant Research Station affiliated with the Agricultural Research Department, Ministry of Agriculture, using a sample of 79 goats (32 Shami and 47 local). The laboratory phase was carried out at the Biotechnology Laboratory of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, and the Advanced Scientific Laboratory for Genetic and Molecular Gene Technologies, with the aim of extracting genomic DNA. The experiment spanned from November 1, 2023, to May 1, 2024.The study focused on the IGF1R gene, specifically examining exon 12, intron 12, and exon 13, covering a 910-base-pair region. Results revealed two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the analyzed region: G267514A and G267782A. Analysis of the G267514A mutation in local goats identified three genotypes: wild-type (GG) at 71.1%, heterozygous (GA) at 26.67%, and mutant (AA) at 2.22%, with allele frequencies of 84% for G and 16% for A. In Shami goats, this mutation exhibited only two genotypes: wild-type (GG) at 93.75% and heterozygous (GA) at 6.25%, with allele frequencies of 97% for G and 3% for A.The study highlighted significant genetic variation between Shami and local goats regarding the G267514A mutation. This mutation influenced body dimensions, fertility rate, and milk production season length in local goats, while showing negligible effects in Shami goats. The G267782A mutation, however, showed no association with any production traits in either breed.

This study aimed to estimate and analyze the individual demand function for table eggs in Iraq for the period (2003-2023) and calculated the demand elasticity as they determine the relative relationship between price and quantity. The research was based on the frontier approach cointegrationusing the ARDL model in estimating the consumer demand function. As a result of both short-ran and long-ran demand elasticity showed , we conclude that eggs are a natural and very necessary commodity for the Iraqi consumer as they cannot be dispensed with even if their prices rise, the consumer will work to reduce a small part of them, and this is what the price elasticity of demand showed (-0.56, -0.73). As for the income elasticity, it showed that it is a commodity with superior goods for the consumer's income in the short and long ran as follows (1.58, 1.36) respectively, meaning that it is a commodity elastic to changes in income because the elasticity coefficient is greater than 1%. Based on what has been concluded, the researcher can recommend working to support egg production projects and working to achieve self-sufficiency in it, as it is a necessary and important commodity for the consumer, and that increasing local production works to increase the supply of eggs so that they are available at appropriate prices that the consumer can buy it.

The aim of this study was to determine whether successfully different quaternary ammonium levels for sanitizing fertile eggs controlled microbial activity on eggshells and how that activity affected the hatchability of fertile eggs. Four treatments (non-sanitized the Quaternary ammonium compound at different levels 1/100, 1/200, and 1/300 ml/L of water) were randomly assigned to 660 white fertile eggs weighing an average of 67.930±0.630 gm, produced by 60-week-old Lohmann White breeder hens. before and at the tenth day of incubation. The findings demonstrated that, in comparison to quaternary ammonium at the (1/300) level, non-sanitized viable eggs had a lower hatchability and a lower percentage of dead embryos at the same level. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences recorded in egg weight among treatments at zero-day and 18th day in this study. But, at the 21st day of incubation, the egg weight was reduced in all concentrations of quaternary ammonium compared with the control group. The higher egg weight loss during the whole period of incubation (0-21 days) was recorded for quaternary ammonium (1/100) compared with both other concentrations of quaternary ammonium. Prior to being placed in the incubator, the hatching eggshell surface's total aerobic bacterial counts were considerably (P<0.05) lower when quaternary ammonium was used as opposed to non-sanitized. Additionally, at day eighteen of hatching, spraying with varying concentrations of quaternary ammonium (1/100, 1/200, and 1/300) resulted in a considerably (P<0.05) lower count of total aerobic bacteria when compared to non-sanitized.

This experiment is dedicated to study the impact of essential technical and engineering parameters on the performance of an agricultural residue shredder for producing non-traditional ruminant nutrition. The study was carried out in the workshop of Agriculture college at Ain Shams University in Egypt, during the academic year of 2023-2024. The investigation tested two shredder knife speeds of (1300 vs 1500 rpm), two feeding rates of (1.5 vs 3 kg.min-1), and two penetration angles of (20° vs 30°). The evaluated technical traits comprised: productivity, cutting efficiency, total required power, and specific energy. The moisture content of palm frond was 39%. The findings displayed that the greatest recorded productivity was 108.23 kg.h-1, with the highest shredding efficiency was 87.67%. The least overall required cutting power was 1.040 kW, furthermore, the least recorded specific energy value was 0.01255 kW·h·kg⁻¹. These results indicate that optimizing shredder knives’ velocity and feeding rates can lead to enhance efficiency and reduce the energy consumption in agricultural residue handling, contributing to a more efficient feed production. The Statistical System that was adopted for Analysis was Genstat Discovery Edition 4. To analyze the data according to a split experiment in a randomized complete block design (RCBD), the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test p< 0.05 was used to compare the means.

A field experiment was conducted over two agricultural seasons, in a field of the Organic Fertilizers Project located in the Bani Zaid district of Shatra, under the Directorate of Agriculture of Dhi Qar. The factorial experiment included three factors conducted within a Randomized Complete Block Design (R.C.B.D) with three replications, 36 treatments per replicate. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of reducing mineral fertilizer application by 50% on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth, focusing on the combined impact of biofertilization with mycorrhiza and Azospirillum, along with foliar applications of an organic nutrient solution (Forteorgan) and glutamic acid. Conducted over two agricultural seasons (2022-2023 and 2023-2024). The results indicated that the combined treatment of mycorrhiza and Azospirillum inoculation, coupled with foliar applications of 4 ml L-1 Forteorgan and 500 mg L-1 glutamic acid, significantly enhanced leaf nitrogen percent in both seasons. Additionally, this combination improved leaf phosphorus and potassium percent, as well as total chlorophyll concentration, suggesting that integrating biofertilizers with reduced mineral fertilizer application can effectively promote nutrient uptake and photosynthesis in lettuce plants.

This investigation was carried out to determine the role of the plant growth regulators 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 6-Benzyladenine (BA) added to the media culture LS and B5 in the biomass accumulation of induced callus culture from the cotyledonous of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. different concentrations of 2,4-D at 4.0, 8.0 and 12.0 µM and BA at 0.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 µM were tested. The surface sterilization of seeds showed that it is possible to rely on a concentration of 2.0% of NaOCl for 5 min to obtain sterile seedlings. The results also indicated that there was a significant effect of the growth regulators 2,4-D and BA added to the LS medium, as the interaction between the two concentrations of 12.0 µM of 2,4-D and 4.0 µM of BA recorded the highest means value of callus formation response (CFR), the shortest duration for the Start callus induction (SCI) and complete callus formation (CCF). At the same time, the interaction between 8.0 µM of 2,4-D and 6.0 µM of BA recorded the highest fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW) and relative humidity (RH) for calli. The B5 medium, the interaction between the two concentrations of 8.0 µM of 2,4-D and 2.0 µM of BA recorded the highest means value of CFR. In contrast, the treatment with a concentration of 12.0 µM of 2,4-D with the control treatment of BA showed the lowest duration of callus induction initiation.

This study aimed to investigate effect of genetic and environmental factors and their interaction on field establishment of sunflower, due to the weakness and variability of emergence. A field experiment was conducted during the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024 seasons at station A, one of the research stations affiliated to the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad. The goal was to improve field emergence rates, reduce emergence duration, and enhance chlorophyll content and photosynthesis. A split plot arrangement within Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications was used. The main factor was planting dates, and the secondary factor was three sunflower cultivars (Aqmar, Flammy, and Sakha). Results showed that the July 10 planting date had the best field emergence, while June 1 resulted in better plant height and leaf area index in the fall. Similarly, the March 30 planting date showed superior emergence rates and plant height in the spring. The Flammy cultivar consistently outperformed others in emergence and growth characteristics across both seasons. This suggests that genetic factors significantly influence emergence rates and plant performance under varying environmental conditions.

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of different levels of propolis on the productive traits of Awassi ewes. Twenty-five ewes with similar weights and ages were used and divided into five groups, with five ewes per treatment. Propolis was administered to the ewes daily for a month premating and a month before the expected birth. The groups included: Control group without adding propolis; 5, 10,15 & 20 g of propolis/ewe/day Dosed to T1, T2, T3 & T4 were closed respectively. The experiment continued until the end of lactation season for these ewes. The T3 treatment exhibited higher (P≤0.01) ewe's weight at mating than other groups, greater (P≤0.05) weight at pregnancy than T1 and T4 treatments, and higher (P≤0.05) weight was observed at birth than the T1 and T2 treatments was observed. The T3 and T4 were significantly superior (P≤0.05) in the daily milk yield (DMY) over the control for the 1st and 2nd productive months. Moreover, T3 exhibited higher (P≤0.05) DMY than T4 and the control in the 3rd productive month. Higher (P≤0.05) milk fat percentage was noticed for T4 than other groups and in the 2nd productive month, whereas T4 was higher (P≤0.01) than with other groups in the percentage of lactose for the 2nd productive month. Higher (P≤0.01) milk protein percentage was observed in T4 treatment over thanT2, T1, and C groups. In conclusion, different levels of propolis affected positively the production performance of Awassi ewes.

This study was aimed to select MC4R gene as a candidate gene for growth and carcass traits in Ross 308. The productive characteristics were studied weekly for 42 days for 100 chicks numbered individually. Blood samples were collected from chickens at 21 days old, Genotypes of MC4R were obtained using PCR products sequence. In this study, DNA sequencing data for the MC4R gene was detected technique SNP(G923>T) (1050bp) with three genotype appeared as (GG- GT- TT). However, the results show that a highly significant differences (P<0.01) between the MC4R genotype and body weight, weight gain, leg length and drumstick weight, with a significantly differences (P<0.05) in all of breast depth, drumstick length, carcass weight, back weight, weight of wings and abdominal fat weight. There was no variation detected in body length, breast circumference, drumstick circumference, breast, Neck, Liver, Heart and Gizzard weight. The MC4R gene SNP (G923>T) could be considered as a candidate marker gene for the early chicken selection program for growth and some carcass traits. The abstract must be no longer than 250 words and must clearly emphasise the objective of the study.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of varying dosages of Urtica dioica (nettle) leaf powder and Camellia sinensis (white tea) powder on the reproductive and histological characteristics of rooster testes. Conducted at the College of Agriculture, Al-Qasim Green University, over a 42-day period, the experiment involved 21 roosters at 45 weeks of age, which were randomly assigned to seven treatment groups with three replicates each. The treatment groups included: a standard diet without any additives as the control; a standard diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg or 150 mg/kg of white tea powder; a standard diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, or 200 mg/kg of nettle leaf powder. The results demonstrated significant improvements in sperm concentration, osmotic resistance, ejaculate volume, and individual sperm motility in certain groups receiving white tea and nettle leaf powders.