Diyala Agricultural Sciences Journal

The Fragrant plants hold significant value in various fields, including health, food, pharmacy, cosmetics, and phytopharmacy. The objective of this study is to examine the diversity and importance of fragrant plants in the hydrographic network of the Mzab region (Northern Algerian Sahara). For this purpose, following a subjective sampling method, we conducted 20 phytoecological surveys in four representative sites. To study diversity, we used ecological indices, functional traits and chorology. The results revealed the presence of 28 species belonging to 26 genera and 20 botanical families, with the most important being Apiaceae, Poaceae and Brassicaceae, accounting for 32.46%, 20.52% and 20.05%, respectively. Morphological and biological spectra showed the dominance of perennial species (81.44%) and chamaephytes (60.82%). The chorological spectrum revealed the dominance of Mediterranean-Saharo-Arabian species, followed by Saharo-Arabian elements, with 51.31% and 28.30%, respectively. Fragrant plants (56.25%) overwhelmingly dominate the studied vegetation cover compared to non-fragrant plants (43.75%). These multi-use plants constitute a raw material for the development of a bio-industry in arid zones, based on the use of bioresources and environmental conservation.

Achieving sustainable phosphorus (P) is a critical for food security in calcareous soils, where P fixation limits crop productivity. This study evaluated the integrated effects of phosphatic fertilizers-single superphosphate (SSP), triple superphosphate (TSP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), and management cow manure (20 t ha⁻¹) on wheat yield, P dynamics, and P use efficiency in a calcareous soil (pH 8.2, 50% CaCO₃). Seven treatment included: control (no P), SSP, SSP+manure, TSP, TSP+manure, MAP, and MAP+manure. Phosphorus was applied at 37.5 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹. Results demonstrated that MAP with manure significantly (p<0.05) increased grain yield (3.78 t ha⁻¹), biological yield (21.86 t ha⁻¹), and 1000-grain weight (47.6 g) versus the control. Available P in post-harvest soil was highest with TSP+manure (46.89 mg kg⁻¹) and lowest in the control (4.69 mg kg⁻¹). The MAP+manure treatment maximized phosphorus use efficiency, PUE, (27.7%), while SSP alone showed the lowest PUE (14.4%). Grain P concentration peaked in TSP+manure (0.46%) and MAP+manure (0.38%). Synergistic interactions between manure and MAP enhanced P availability by reducing Ca-P fixation, improving root uptake, and sustaining fertility. In conclusions: Co-application of MAP (37.5 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹) and cattle manure (20 t ha⁻¹) optimizes wheat productivity and PUE in calcareous soils. This integrated strategy mitigates P depletion risks and supports sustainable intensification.

Spurge Euphorbia condylocarpa is one of the medicinal plants, which contain numerous sorts of phytochemical components. This study aimed to determine the effect of three levels of light intensity (100% (L1: received natural sunlight, 80% (L2: the glass house covered with one layer of tulle fabric to minimize the light intensity to 80%), 120%(L3 where electric light was added was added to make light intensity to 120%), soil moisture content (SM 1: 100%,SM 2:75%, SM 3: 50% field capacity (FC)), under applied two levels of organic fertilizer (OF1; control, OF2;10%) on growth, productivity, and chemical constituents of E. condylocarpa plants. Results showed that L3 significantly increased root tuber fresh weight, total chlorophylls, total protein content, and total phosphorus content, however, proline decreased, while L2 significantly decreased number of leaves, root tuber fresh weight, root tuber dry weight, and chl. a content of leaves but proline content of leaves increased. SM1 significantly increased number of leaves, chl. b content, carotene, and total soluble carbohydrates, SM2 significantly increased total phosphorus, but decreased ch. b content, and total soluble carbohydrates. OF2 significantly increased stem diameter, total chlorophylls, proline content of leaves, and total potassium, while OF1 significantly decreased stem diameter, and total potassium content, while zinc increase in dry leaves. Triple interaction treatment L3SM2OF2 significantly increased number of branches, stem diameter, water content of shoot system, biological yields, shoot fresh weight, total chlorophylls, and total soluble carbohydrates in dry weight of leaves. It was concluded that this plant needs different condition for improve growth and development.

Achieving sustainable phosphorus (P) is a critical for food security in calcareous soils, where P fixation limits crop productivity. This study evaluated the integrated effects of phosphatic fertilizers-single superphosphate (SSP), triple superphosphate (TSP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), and management cow manure (20 t ha⁻¹) on wheat yield, P dynamics, and P use efficiency in a calcareous soil (pH 8.2, 50% CaCO₃). Seven treatment included: control (no P), SSP, SSP+manure, TSP, TSP+manure, MAP, and MAP+manure. Phosphorus was applied at 37.5 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹. Results demonstrated that MAP with manure significantly (p<0.05) increased grain yield (3.78 t ha⁻¹), biological yield (21.86 t ha⁻¹), and 1000-grain weight (47.6 g) versus the control. Available P in post-harvest soil was highest with TSP+manure (46.89 mg kg⁻¹) and lowest in the control (4.69 mg kg⁻¹). The MAP+manure treatment maximized phosphorus use efficiency, PUE, (27.7%), while SSP alone showed the lowest PUE (14.4%). Grain P concentration peaked in TSP+manure (0.46%) and MAP+manure (0.38%). Synergistic interactions between manure and MAP enhanced P availability by reducing Ca-P fixation, improving root uptake, and sustaining fertility. In conclusions: Co-application of MAP (37.5 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹) and cattle manure (20 t ha⁻¹) optimizes wheat productivity and PUE in calcareous soils. This integrated strategy mitigates P depletion risks and supports sustainable intensification.

Midnight feeding (MF) has been shown to improve laying performance in closed-house systems; however, evidence under open-house conditions remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of MF on feed intake (FI), body weight (BW), egg production, egg mass, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and egg quality of laying hens reared in an open house. A completely randomized design was used with two treatments: 150 hens without MF (17L:7D; P0) and 150 hens with MF (17L:2.5D :2L:2.5D; P1). Treatments were initiated at week 24, with data collected from weeks 26 to 31. Statistical analysis was performed using an independent two-tailed t-test or Mann–Whitney U test according to data normality (P≤0.05). Midnight feeding had no significant effect on FI (approximately 118–122 g/day), BW (1705–1801 g), or Haugh unit (70–82) (P≥0.05). However, P1 showed significantly higher weekly egg production (WEP), reaching 70.93% vs. 56.44% in week 27 (P≤0.05). Eggshell thickness increased from 0.263–0.297 mm in P0 to 0.382–0.414 mm in P1 during significant weeks (P≤0.05). Egg mass was significantly higher in P1, for example 38.77 vs. 30.83 g/hen/day in week 27 (P≤0.05), resulting in improved FCR (3.06 vs. 3.84 in week 27; P≤0.05). These findings indicate that MF enhanced productive efficiency under open-house conditions without increasing feed intake or altering body weight and internal egg quality. Nevertheless, nocturnal photostimulation may influence circadian regulation, stress responses, and laying hen behaviour, particularly in tropical open-house systems.

Irrigation plays a fundamental role in sustaining agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions where rainfall remains insufficient and irregular. This study aims to analyse the spatial and temporal dynamics of irrigated areas over the last three decades. The methodological approach is based on the use of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from satellite imagery for the years 1992, 2012, and 2022, combined with Google Earth images, and supported by field verification to ensure the accuracy of the results. The analysis reveals a significant expansion of irrigated agricultural areas in the plain. Irrigated land increased by approximately 2,282 hectares, with an average annual expansion rate of about 394 hectares. Between 2012 and 2022, irrigated agricultural areas reached 10,977 hectares, reflecting a marked acceleration in agricultural development during the last decade. The results also indicate a notable increase in fruit tree plantations between 2006 and 2023, Between 2006 and 2023, the number of agricultural holdings dedicated to fruit trees increased from 4,765 to 5,578, representing a growth of about 17.1%. Olive-related exploitations accounted for more than 95% of the total. Spatial analysis highlights a clear concentration of irrigated farms near surface water resources, groundwater reserves, and fertile soils. These dynamics reflect profound socio-spatial transformations driven largely by recurrent drought conditions, leading to a transition from traditional pastoral systems toward modern irrigated agriculture, this transformation has also intensified pressure on groundwater resources, particularly through the increasing drilling of wells, raising important challenges for sustainable water management and regional agricultural sustainability.

Date palm is one of the most important fruits due to it contains of minerals and vitamins thus the addition of nutrients such as boron and chelated zinc can improve fruit quality. To investigate the effect of zinc (Zn) and boron (B) on fruit quality, the Zn and B were spraying in chelated form. The treatments were applied at two stages: one week before, and one week after pollination with the 'Simsimi' male cultivar in 2025. The experiment included 12 treatments resulting from the interaction of two factors: the first factor being three female varieties (Zhadi, Khistawi, and Tabarzel), and the second factor being a combination of boron and chelated zinc (control, boron 1.5 mg L-1, chelated zinc 50 mg L-1, boron 1.5 mg L-1 + chelated zinc 50 mg L-1). Spraying was conducted twice during the growing season. The experiment was carried out in factorial experiment with three replications. The study concludes that the use of a combined foliar spray of boron and chelated zinc is significantly increased total sugars and chlorophyll around 83.25% and 15.67% respectively. The Zhadi variety outperforms by giving the highest percentage of reduced sugars (65.38%) while the Khistawi variety was significantly superior in all the other characteristics. The results showed that spraying with zinc significantly affected on leaves content of chlorophyll and fruit content of nitrogen. The non-reduced sugar increased when spraying boron in khistawi. The combination of zinc and boron resulted in increasing protein, reduced and non-reduced sugar, and potassium in the fruits.

Beeswax is produced by honeybees used for various purposes. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of agro-ecology, hive type and beeswax source on beeswax quality. A total of 18 samples were collected from different sources, altitudes, and hive types. Data were collected on 7 major quality parameters (melting point, refractive index, ash content, total volatile content, acid content, saponification value, and ester content). We followed the Ethiopian laboratory standard to analysis the beeswax quality parameters. The study evaluated beeswax quality in comparison with the national and international standards. The mean values of the parameters were 62.42 ± 0.44 0C, 1.44 ± 0.01, 0.14 ± 0.07%, 1.44 ± 0.3%, 25.43 ± 2.15 mg/g, 95.42 ± 5.1 mg/g, and 70.9 ± 6 mg/g for melting point, refractive index, ash content, total volatile matter, acid value, saponification value, and ester value, respectively. Majority of the parameters were within the acceptable limits set by Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and European standards. However, ester value from crude honey extract (68.68 mg/g) and lowland (66.7 mg/g) were lower than the lower limit (70 mg/g) set by the standards. Hive type did not show difference in quality among the samples (p≥0.05); however, agro-ecology and beeswax sources had effects on some of the quality parameters (p≤0.05). Beeswax of the study area generally was good quality, meeting most of the national and international standards. The sub-standard in ester value indicated quality threat requiring further investigation using advanced techniques.

One of the most deadly pests of honey bees (Apis mellifera) is the Varroa destructor mite. The study aims to test the effect of four medicinal plants: Sodom Apple Calotropis procera, Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus, Camphor Eucalyptus globulus, and Wormwood Artemisia vulgaris, as eco-friendly substances through smoking to combat Varroa mites. Plant leaf powders were used at 20 g/ hive by using a smoker at 8 puffs/ hive, because exposure to more can harm the beehive. Fallen and dead Varroa mites were collected after (2, 4 and 6) days of smoking for treatments, by replacing old mite counting trays with new ones. The highest mite loss rate was 47.11 mites/hive, which represents all mites dropped for exposure periods of (2, 4, and 6) days when fumigated with E. globulus, while it was 15 mites/hive in the control treatment. Decrease in the shedding rate was observed over time, reaching 70.24%, 58.82%, and 31.65% mite/treatment after 2, 4, and 6 days respectively. The infection rate of honeybee brood decreased to 8% after treatment compared to 59.66% before treatment in the case of E. globulus, and brood growth increased by between 4.94% and 23.33% after 21 days of exposure, in the control group and in the case of E. globulus, respectively. We can infer from the results the effectiveness of the method of smoking plants used in this study in reducing or limiting mite density in honey bee colonies.

As carbon-rich materials, biochar (BC) and hydrochar (HC), the by-products of feedstocks produced through pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization, respectively, have demonstrated encouraging promise as soil conditioners that enhance soil fertility and crop development and have recently gained attention as potential products for seed germination improvement, growth, and yield, this research was carried out to evaluate the impact of BC and HC on rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings germination and growth under laboratory conditions. conduct the factorial the experiment, five (5) treatments for each of BC and HC, respectively was applied. The results indicated that T1(0%), T2 (1%), T3 (2%), T4 (4%), and T5 (6%) of BC and HC increased germination percentage (GP), mean germination time (MGT), germination rate index (GRI), germination energy (GE), shoot length (cm), fresh and dry shoot weight (g), fresh dry root weight (g), root/shoot ratio, and plant biomass, which GP, GRI, and GE showed increased by 70.2% and MGT by 66.6% in comparison with the control (0%) for BC and HC, respectively. Treatments 1%, 2%, 4%, and 6% of BC and HC significantly increased shoot length by 43.8% and 60.5%, respectively. Fresh and dry shoot weight, fresh and dry root weight, and plant biomass were significantly increased in comparison to the control for BC and HC at lower and higher concentrations, respectively. The findings reveal that lower concentrations of BC and higher concentrations of HC may be used as a viable soil conditioner to enhance rice seed germination and improve growth.

Digital financial services offer much to smallholder farmers, though the benefits of these innovations are often unclear. There are value chain structures in maize that aim to improve market access, food security, and the overall profitability of the system. This study focuses on the effect of digital microfinance on maize harvest quality within the maize farming system in Central Java Province, Indonesia. This study surveyed 320 smallholder maize farmers in the four most productive regencies of the province. The constructs of Digital Microfinance Access (DMAI) and Harvest Quality Index (HQI) were operationalised across multi-dimensional finance and harvest quality. When evaluating the constructs, Access and Finance were treated as latent. The results of this study indicated that digital microfinance positively affected harvest quality and that the impacts were substantial. Access to digital microfinance significantly improves harvest quality outcomes, as indicated by an average marginal effect of 0.284. A one-unit increase in the Digital Microfinance Access Index (DMAI) is associated with a 0.284 increase in the Harvest Quality Index (HQI), holding other factors constant. However, in the case of digital farming classes, access to digital microfinance had an adverse effect, unlike in the three farming categories. Digital microfinance mobilizes liquidity and transforms maize farming from structural, qualitative, competitive, and transformational perspectives. The findings confirm that improved access to digital microfinance significantly enhances maize harvest quality, with measurable gains in key quality indicators and clear differences across farmer segments.

Nigeria’s agrifood system supports employment, income generation, and food security, but post-harvest losses of perishable crops, especially leafy vegetables, threaten these benefits. This study examined the magnitude, profitability implications, and determinants of post-harvest losses in leafy vegetable production in Southwest Nigeria. Primary data were collected from 240 leafy vegetable producers selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, budgetary analysis, post-harvest loss estimation, and a two-stage least squares regression model. Respondents had a mean age of 41.8 years, average household size of 5.6 persons, and mean farming experience of 8.9 years; 68.3% were male, 66.7% married, 41.7% had secondary education, 28.3% accessed credit, and 25.0% had extension contact. Average post-harvest loss was 33.49%, with Telfairia occidentalis recording the highest loss at 37.78%, followed by Amaranthus spp. and Corchorus olitorius. Despite these losses, leafy vegetable production remained profitable, with return on investment ranging from 2.8 to 4.4. The 2SLS results showed that household size and storage costs significantly increased post-harvest losses, while education, farming experience, farm size, and access to credit significantly reduced them. Major constraints were price volatility, inadequate capital, poor road networks, and weak extension services. The study concludes that reducing post-harvest losses through improved preservation methods, cold chain infrastructure, access to agrifinance, and digital market linkages can enhance food availability and rural livelihoods.

The incidence of postharvest losses of table grapes causes economic damage along the food chain, especially in developing countries. To increase the shelf life of table grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) essential oils (EOs) of some plants (thyme, clove, rosemary, and cinnamon) were selected as packaging material, to coat the 200g of grape that packed in plastic clamshell containers, and estimate their effects on the physicochemical properties and decay incidence of two varieties of grapes (Khoshnawaty and Rashmiri) during cold storage at 4°C with 80–85% relative humidity for 45 days. The results show that in general, all EOs of the plants (thyme, clove, rosemary, and cinnamon) used in this study lead to reducing weight loss, rachis browning, delaying repining and maintaining firmness during storage, as well as maintained their chemical characteristics (pH, solid soluble content and total phenols) beside to reducing decay incidence in treated grapes with EOs compared to the control treatment. Among the EOs types used in this study, EOs of clove were the best in most of the studied parameters, followed by EOs of thyme and cinnamon. In comparison between the two cultivars of grapes used in the current study, the Khoshnawaty variety was more stable to most postharvest parameters (physical, chemical, and decay incidence) compared to the Rashmiri variety.

Urban expansion and climate change in semi-arid regions have exacerbated environmental degradation in many cities. Baqubah, a city in eastern Iraq, like other areas in the country, has experienced changes in land use and a decline in vegetation cover. This study aims to identify optimal locations and technical requirements for establishing a sustainable greenbelt system in Baqubah District using an integrated geospatial approach. Vegetation dynamics were evaluated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), while thermal conditions were assessed through Land Surface Temperature (LST). Land use/land cover (LULC) was classified into five types using the maximum likelihood algorithm. Agricultural land is concentrated around watercourses in the central and northeastern regions, covering 74 square kilometers. Arable land appears in the southwest and east, covering 47 square kilometers, indicating its potential for development within the Green Belt project. Climatic variables were spatially fitted using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method. A spatial fit model was developed using the Analysis Hierarchy Process (AHP) and weighted superposition analysis. Land surface temperature was calculated from a thermal range of 29.8°C to 41.3°C, with the highest values (above 40°C) concentrated in urban and exposed areas. Areas with dense vegetation recorded relatively low temperatures (below 34°C), reflecting the effect of vegetation in reducing surface temperature. A spatial suitability map for establishing a green belt in the northern and northeastern areas of Baqubah district has been identified, characterized by favorable conditions including heavy rainfall (>170 mm), moderate humidity (>50%), low temperatures (<41°C), and high vegetation cover index values.