Mesopotamia Journal of Agriculture

Calcium (Ca) bioavailability of different levels of calcium carbonate using
male Sprague-Dawley derived weanling rats was determined. Normalized value
(NV), the relative bioavailability (RBV) and calcium absorption in three levels
(0.14, 0.19 and 0.24 %) of three balanced diets (diets No 1, 2 and 3) of calcium
carbonate (CaCO3) as a source of calcium were estimated. Normalized values and
RBVs in femur, tibia and fibula for rats fed diet containing 0.19% calcium (No.2)
were significantly (P<0.05) higher (81.8 and 100 %, respectively ) than those (78;
95 and 78; 95 ) for rats fed diet containing 0.14% (No.1) (78; 95 and 78; 95,
respectively) and diet containing 0.24% calcium (No.3)(60.8; 74.2 and 60.2;73.6,
respectively). Results also show that calcium absorption, total body calcium and
serum calcium for rats fed diet No.2 were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those
of rats fed diets No.1 and 3. It was concluded that calcium carbonate based diet
containing 0.19% calcium with 1.5:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio may give high
calcium bioavailability for growing rats which was considered as standard
(control) diet for other diets.

This study was made depending on field experiment data done at the college
of Agriculture and Forestry/ University of Mosul. The experiment was concerned
with breeding local red turkey cocks where three types of different compositions
fodders, were given to these birds. Through statistical and economic analysis it was
shown that the optimum age of marketing and selling local red turkey cock is the
17th week where the weight of each bird 2.193 kg. At this weight the net profit is
(1807,700) dinar which is the greatest profit that could be attain under the current
price and the fodder cost.

The study compared the fodder provided by the Ministry of Agriculture with
the fodder extracted by using linear program method. Analysis results showed that
the cost of fodder provided by the Ministry of Agriculture does not provide the
minimum requirements for feeding birds. The primary and final fodder extracted by
linear programming provide all the nutritional requirements. Thus, the two kinds of
fodder extracted by linear programming is the best for feeding birds as they are full
of protein, energy, lycine, calcium, phosphorus and this is reflected on birds growth
and their marketing availability in a less breeding period that Ministry of
Agriculture fodder.

In this study seeds of local lemon were cultured in solidified Murashige and
Skoog medium in order to examine the effect of combining Benzyladenine (BA)
and Kinetin (Kin), in different concentration on the growth of embryos with /
without seed coat. Favorable results were obtained after 6 weeks from seeds without
seed coat comparably with seeds with seed coat, embryos growth from seeds
without seed coat was in different degrees, were as, optimum results obtained in
treatment containing Kin alone 3mg/L, average number of seedling from each seed
2.6 compared with 1.75 of control treatment (completely without cytokinins). The
individual or combined use of BA and Kin caused increasing seedling steam length
of seeds without seed coat compared with control treatment, while increasing root
length when treated with Kin alone at concentration of 3mg/L .The subsequent use
of BA and Kin at concentration of 2.5+0.5 mg/L caused elongation highest number
of lateral buds of seedling which 2.29. When highest number of adventitious bud
(80 %) occurred in treatment seeds without seed coat containing BA and Kin at
concentration 1.5 mg/L for each one that was 2.13 buds from every seed.

Adhesives derived from oak (Quercus infectoria) galls tannin and ureaformaldehyde were used to produce particleboards of 18 mm. thickness from
pinewood particles at 8 and 12% resin content and target density of 0.60 gm /
cm
3. Five levels of blending ratios were followed namely; 100 TF:0 UF, 75
TF:25 UF, 50 TF:50 UF, 25 TF:75 UF, and O TF:100 UF. The physical and
mechanical properties of the produced panels were tested after conditioning
according to ASTM standard D-1073. The results indicated, that tannin from
oak galls has good potential for use as adhesive. It has been shown from the
results that incorporating urea-formaldehyde with tannin-formaldehyde
produced good quality adhesive for the manufacture of particleboard for
interior use. An increase in the levels of urea in the adhesive blends caused an
increase in panels strength such as MOR, MOE, and IB, while WA and Th.S.
decreased by increasing levels of tannin-formaldehyde. The increase in resin
content of all produced panels improved all particleboard properties.

In this study, cultures of friable callus derived from hypocotyls explants of
Helianthus annuus L. seedlings were readily obtained. It was observed that
Murashige & Skoog medium supplemented with (BA) Benzyl adenine and (NAA)
Naphthaleneacetic acid with different concentration encouraged the formation of
callus. This friable callus used in obtaining cell suspension cultures in liquid MS
medium containing 1.0 mg/ L BA, 2.0 mg /L NAA. The cells started their first
division after 24hours and continued their division. Density of these cells reached to
7.33-8.50 x 103 cell / ml at the fourth day of age. The results of culturing cell
suspension by embedding them in agar using Multiple Drop Array (MDA)
technique proved the suitability of this method. Cells begin the first division within
5-6 days and continued their division until the formation of cell colonies, Which
then developed to form callus primordia. The work have studied the effect of
exposing cell suspension to heat shock. The treated suspensions were cultured by
following MDA technique. Results indicated that heat shocked cell begin the first
division at 2-5 days and increase the total number of cell colonies and callus
primordias compared to the untreated samples (control).

This study was carried out at horticultural research fields, Mosul University,
Mosul, Iraq, during 2004-2005 growing season to investigate the influences of
polyethylene mulching, supplementary irrigation and rainfall incidences on the
production of dry bulb of three onion cultivars grown in spring season. Results
showed that supplementary irrigated onions resulted in significant increases bulb
fresh weight, bulb size, bulb bulk density, number of storage leaves per bulb, plant
dry weight and yield of dry onion bulbs, as compared to these of rainfalls onions.
Production of dry onions on bare soil under rainfall incidences in mosul are
possible in fall season. Polyethylene mulching substantially improved growth and
yield of onions, as compared to un-mulched treatment, particularly these grown
under rainfalls. Therefore the ability of producing dry yield of onions under rainfalls
was confirmed. Clear polyethylene mulching appeared to be the most effective
treatments. It displayed significant increases in area per plant, leaf area index,
individual bulb size, single bulb fresh weight, bulb bulk density, and dry yield of
onion bulbs. Moreover, it significantly lessen the water requirements and weed
eradication labor cost. However, it increased onions bolting. Local Red was the
paramount cultivar. It showed the highest responses to supplemental irrigation,
rainfalls and polyethylene mulching, as it showed the highest values in bulb size,
bulb fresh weight, , and yield of dry onion bulbs. Furthermore, it resulted in the
lowest stalk numbers per plant, and dry weights of flowering stalks. On the other
hand local white cultivar displayed controversial results. Bashiqi cultivar
manifested moderate responses as it occupied the gap spared between Local Red
and Bashiqi cultivars. Finally, the highest yield (3.59 kg.m‾²) and yield quality of
dry onion bulbs was concomitant to supplementary irrigated Local Red onion
cultivar grown on clear polyethylene mulched soil.

This study was conducted on goats of three genetical groups. these groups
were local (L) Shammi (S) and shammi X local (SL), raised at Agargouf goat
breeding station to study birth weight and weaning weight of kids and productivity
of dose ( total weaning weight of kids / dose and / k.g. of dose weight). The overall
mean of birth weight for 591 kids was ( 3.023 ± 0.035) k.g. Significant effect of
year of kidding , sex of kid and type of birth on birth weight were found. The males
exceed the females by 0.198 k.g. and the single exceed the twin by 0.412 k.g.
However genetic group and weight of does showed no significant effect on birth
weight. The overall mean of weaning weight for 472 kids recorded was (13.048 ±
0.214)k.g. Significant effect of year of kidding, type of birth, sex of kid and weight
of does at kidding were observed. The (S) kids exceed both (L) and (SL) kids by
(1.560 and 1.307)k.g. respectively. The male exceed the female and the single
exceed the twin by (0.607 and 2.361)k.g., respectively. The overall mean of
productivity (total weaning weight of kids/does) was ( 13.713 ± 0.196) k.g. The
effect of genetic group and year of kidding were significant. The (S) exceed both
(L) and (SL) by (1.399 and 1.342) k.g., respectively. The overall mean of total
weaning weight of kids/k.g. of does was (0.386 ± 0.005)k.g. Significant effect of
genetic group on total weaning weight of kids/k.g. of does observed. However the
genetic group (SL) exceed the (S) and (L) groups, while the effect of year of
kidding was significant. Repeatability estimated for total weaning weight of
kids/does was ( 0.28 ± 0.06).

The study was conducted in the Dept. of Animal Production College of
Agriculture, University Duhok . 230 local goat ovarian samples were tested . These
samples were collected from the slaughter house of Duhok area. Physiological
activities of these samples were determined during 3 seasons of a year. These were 91
samples (39.57%) from non pregnant goat and 139 samples (60.43%) from pregnant
goats. The sexual activities of the three samples were measured then weight of ovaries
and corpus lumen found in the ovaries during the three reasons. The ovarian shapes of
the non pregnant goat were kidney shape and rounded while in the pregnant goat were
oval and elongated , the weight and size of the right ovaries were higher than that of
the left ovaries , and were different whether the animal was pregnant or not , and
weight of corpora letea in the ovaries. The percent of corpora letea in the right ovary
for the three stages (parturition, suckling and in semi nation) in the non pregnant
ovaries were 42.8 , 38.2 and 87.5% respectively while in the pregnant animals were
94.3 , 73.8 and 86.4% in the right ovary and 43.4 , 42.2 and 18.2 in the left ovary
respectively . The size of corpora letea in right ovary was bigger in size and weight
than that in the left ovary . The percent of single embryo was 65.09 most of them in the
right horn (84.55%) , while the percent of twin was 33.14% some of them in the right
horn (37.5) and (62.5%) in the left side and one case of triple (1.77%).

This experiment was conducted to improve the nutritional value of sunflower
meal in order to substitute soybean meal after the addition of multi enzyme
(Safizyme) and certain amino acids (lysine and methionine) in common carp
Cyprinus carpio L. diets. Statistical analysis showed there were no significant
differences (P<0.05) among control and diets containing 50% and 83% sunflower
meal in weight gain, relative growth rate, specific growth rate, food conversion
ratio, protein efficiency ratio, sediment protein and protein productive value.
Complete substitution of soybean meal by sunflower meal caused significantly a
decrease (P< 0.05) in all criteria examined, except for food and protein
consumption, which revealed mathematical differences. Phenolic compounds were
investigated via thin layer Chromatography (GF-254), and the results indicated that
sunflower meal and improved (screened) sunflower meal contains 0.8-3.517 and
0.36-2.12 g/100g respectively. In addition, the proximal apparent digestible
coefficient and composition of the fish body; crude protein, ether extract and ash
were examined .

This study was conducted on 72 Awassi ewes, while were divided into three
groups, and fed rations contain Nigella sativa seed meal (0,7 and 14% ) from 45
days pre-mating and until the end of lactation season. Some hematological and
biochemical parameters and concentration of some minerals in blood serum were
determind. The results indicates that some haematologyical ( red and whit cell
counts, hemoglobine value, packed cell volume , mean corpuscular volume )and
biochemical parameters( concentration of total serum protein ,globulin ,total lipid,
triglycerieds ,cholesterol and glucose and percentage of lymphocyte cell ) were
increased significantly, while the percentages of eosinophils and neutrophils cells
were decreased significantly ( p0.05) , as the percentage of Nigella sativa seed
meal increased in ration ,while the concentration of blood minerals was not
significantly affected by Nigella sativa seed meal.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of different concentration of
tetracycline, malic acid and their mixture in different concentration in proteolytic
and lipolytic bacteria count in the stored beef meat at 5oC. There was a gradual
significant in proteolytic bacteria counts with the increase of storage time in all the
treatments except in malic acid treatment where there was insignificant decrease in
the number of these bacteria, in addition, there was a significant decrease in the
treatments (30 ppm tetracycline and 1% malic acid and 30 ppm tetracycline and
1.5% malic acid) at the beginning of storage period, but with the continuation of
storage, the number increased gradually till they reached a high number at the end
of storage period and these increases in the bacteria counts in all the treatments
were lesser than those in the control group during the storage. There was a decrease
in Lipolytic bacteria counts in all treatment at the beginning of storage period
except in control group and tetracycline treatments and the treatments (10 ppm
tetracycline and 0.5% malic acid), but with the increase of storage period, the
counts increased gradually and significantly in all treatments till they reach higher
period, but they were lesser those in the control group

The present study was conducted in Ninevah forest to study the effects
of the height, numbers and date of pollarding of the shoots of leucaena at one
years age. The pollarding was done monthly at fired different heights above
ground level namely , 15 , 30 and 45 cm to stimulate the regrowth of the plant
and ,arimize biomass production . The results indicated the following Growth
characteristics: - The highest average monthly grouth in length (4.13 cm)
obtained the pollarding was done at 15 cm height, while the highest average
in diameter (0.89 mm) occurred in plants pollared at 30 cm above the ground
level .With respect to the number of pollarding , it appeared , that pollarding
for one time was the best in comparing with the other number of pollarding
since it gave the highest average of minthly growth in length (13.88 cm) and
diameter ( 1.22 mm ) As for pollarding dates , october the first was the best
achieving . the highest increase in the average monthly grow the in hieght
(41.94 cm) and in diameter (2.83 cm ) among the other pollarding dates .
Biomass production was the best height of pollarding which gave the best
increase in dry weight of the shoots per pollard and the accumalated mass due
to the total pollards was 45 cm above the ground level a since it gave the
highest averages and 154.64 gm ) , on the other hand , pollarding for one time
was better than the other pollarding numbers in giving . the highest values in
dry weight and in the accumlated total due to pollards in regard to the date of
pollarding , first of November was the best ingiving the highest mean ( 197.82
g ) in dry weight of shoots