Basrah Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Poultry houses contribute 93% of the total amount of ammonia gas emitted
from production facilities. The study aims to evaluate the efficiency of the biofilter for
reducing environmental pollution by ammonia gas and using local and cheap materials.
Two field experiments were conducted, A chicken (Ross 308, weigh 44.5 g) was raised
in 35 days. Experiment unit dimensions are 1.2 x 1.5 x 2.5 length, width and height and
each one of them was connected with a biofilter from the outside by air transport
channel. The first experiment of three stocking densities (14, 16, 18) birds / m 2 and
three replicates. The second experiment included the use of one SD (14 bird\m2), 3
mixtures of rice straw and the conocarpus leaves as the medium of the Biofilter and
three replicates. The efficiency of the biofilter (mixture of 0.30 Conocarpus leaves with
0.70 rice straw) was 91%. The efficiency of the Biofilter was about 91.7% when media
0.25 of Conocarpus with 0.75 straw rice and characterized by a high content of total
fungi compared to the other two.

A 28 Actinomycetes isolates which collected from different environmental
sources in Basra province were described as Gram positive and are characterized by
producing branching hyphae. Two isolates were identified by molecular analysis of 16 S
r RNA gene. Molecular identification confirmed that two isolates of Actinomycetes
from soil had a similarity of 99% with Streptomyces griseus. The sequence has been
deposited at NCBI with Gen bank accession number (NBRC 14886, AB 184627. 1).
While the isolates of date palm roots was analogous to Brevibacterium celere and the
sequence of this strain deposited at NCBI with Gen bank accession number
(DQ164,K414744601). The dual culture technique showed that Actinomyces isolates 44
had high antagonistic activity against Rhizoctonia solani as inhibition zone reached 1.7
cm, in contrast to Actinomyces 24 and S. griseus which revealed a high antagonistic
activity against Pythium sp. with inhibition zone reached 1.2 cm for both isolates. Pots
experiment showed all Actinomyces isolates were significantly reduced cucumber
seedling damping off caused by R. solani and Pythium sp. the disease incidence for R.
solani damping off were reduced to 1.0% in actinomycetes 44, Actinomycetes 24 and B
.celere treatment compared to 11.37 % in control treatment. Disease incidence at
Pythium sp. damping off was reduced to 1.0% in Actinomycetes isolates compared with
that in control treatment (4.33%). According to this study there is possibility for
isolating Actinomycetes isolates which isolated from different environments sources
have the ability for reducing cucumber damping off disease caused by R. solani and
Pythium sp.

The present study was designed to measure both eye and nasal temperatures
by stroking the animals’ body to determine positive emotional state in free-range
Hamdani ewes. Twenty Hamdani ewes, aging 2-4 years, were used in this study. Focal
sampling was used to collect data. Data were collected from both nose and eyes of
animals. A total of 1680 temperature data, an average of 84 data from each ewe, were
collected from all twenty ewes throughout the study. Ewes were stroked at the forehead,
withers and neck for five minutes, temperature data were collected twice before, twice
during and twice after stroking for both eyes and nose. Results revealed that there was a
significant difference in eye temperature (P<0.01) as well as nasal temperature (P<0.05)
between the three stages. Both eye and nasal temperatures were decreasing over time. In
addition, the mean eye and nasal temperatures for all stopwatches were highly
correlated (r = 0.94). From this study it could be concluded that peripheral (eye and
nose) temperatures offer a useful understanding of changes in emotional valence in
ewes.

The effect of electric stimulation on some quantitative characters of aged
ducks and layers chicken carcasses were the main objectives of the present study.
Electric stimulation apparatus of meat tenderness was designed and manufactured at
Department of Food Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Basrah. A total of
36 Ducks and Layers chicken aged 1.5 years. Birds were slaughtered by hand, were defeathered,
and all internal organs were removed. Carcasses were divided into three
treatments with different electric stimulation. Control group (no electric stimulation).
The second treatment (Electric conductivity 3.67 V/cm) was low voltage of 110 volt
and 1% saline solution. The third treatment (7.33 V/cm) was 220V and 1% saline
solution. All traits were measured at 25 min, 6 hrs. and 24 hrs. Carcasses stored by
freezing for 30 and 60 days. The results showed that the number of proteolysis,
lipolysis, Psychrophiles bacteria were affected by electric stimulation, the third
treatment revealed the lower number of bacteria. Electric stimulation (especially 220 V)
was significantly reduced the number of bacteria in both chicken and duck.

Morphometric and meristic characteristics of two species of genus
Acanthopagrus (A. arabicus and A. sheim) were described based on 19 specimens of A.
arabicus and 10 specimens of A. sheim. Distinguished morphometric characteristics
between two species are included; obvious black streak on anal fin in fresh specimens
and the black spots on the membrane between spines of dorsal fin found in A. sheim
only, while yellow lower lobe of caudal fin in A. arabicus in compared with black or
dusky once in A. sheim. Pectoral, pelvic and anal fins being vivid yellow (yellow in A.
sheim, anal fin with black streaks), caudal fin being yellow in the lower part, while
grayish on the upper part of A. arabicus. The biometric characters of 33 out of 42
morphometric characters of A. arabicus were larger than that of A. sheim, which
reported for the first time in Iraqi waters

Drought is one of the most critical abiotic factors especially in warm dry
areas yielding limited crop. Ten wheat genotypes tested for drought tolerance at
germination stage. Polyethylene Glycol-8000 used to induce -1.7 and -3.5 bars osmotic
potential as compared to control treatment with three replications in factorial
experiment with Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The
studied parameters showed a decreasing in style of response to increment of PEG
concentration. The lowest Final Germination Percentage (FGP) mean recorded was
73.23 % under -3.5 bars as compared to control. Means of Daily Germination time
(MDG), Germination Index (GI) and Coefficient of Velocity Germination (CVG) have
been decreased from 4.04, 3.23 and 81.64 at control treatment to 2.46, 1.77 and 69.21 at
severe drought level. But the highest CVG; 83.34 recorded by Azady under 160 g/ L
PEG. In addition under -3.5 bar treatment lowest means of shoot and root length
recorded; 3.34 and 1.92 cm as compared to control treatment. While, lowest shoot
weight and whole seedling weight; 0.07 and 0.079 g recorded by Abu-ghreb, but lowest
root dry weight 0.008 g was recorded by Adena. While, a significant increase observed
in proline content in all genotypes at 160 g PEG-8000/ L medium. Ezz, Sham-6, Azady,
Rabeaa and Riagary seedlings’ accumulated more proline as compared to Tammuz-2,
Adena, Abu-ghreb, Abehade and Ebba-99. According to the studied parameters a
dendrogram constructed. The genotypes classified into two groups. Resistant; include
Ezz, Sham-6, Azady, Rabeaa and Rizgary. Sensitive; includes Tammuz-2, Adena, Abughreb,
Abehade and Ebba-99.

Plants are a rich source of giving benefit natural products, including
antimicrobial agents. The current study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial
activity of Populus sp. leaves that the aqueous methanolic extract (200 mg.ml-1) of the
leaves revealed antimicrobial effects against some microbial pathogens in which the
highest inhibition zone was recorded against Candida albicans followed by
Staphylococcus aureus but no effects on the growth of both Streptococcus mutans and
Klebsiella sp. The chemical tests appeared that the extract contains sterols, terpenoids,
carbohydrates, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, proteins, amino acids, and saponins
glycosides while alkaloids were not detected. GC-MS analysis detected the aqueous
methanolic extract has four compounds are {2-Pyridineacetaldehyde,[2-(2-pyridinyl)
ethylidene]hydrazone}, {n-Propylamine, N-acetyl-3-[2-acetyl-3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl]-
},{1-(Methyl propyl)-4-(1’,1’,2’-trichloro-3’-ethyl allyl)benzene} and {1H-Indole, 5-
methyl-2-phenyl-}.

Tomato production in Al-Zubair district, Basrah province, Iraq was affected
by late blight disease that was not recorded before in this geographical area. The
symptoms were firstly appeared in December 2018 in several farms of Al-Zubair
district. The infection was spread widely at January 2019 according to the
environmental conditions that fitted the development infection. The pathogen was
identified morphologically as Phytophthora infestans.

This study was conducted in Tainal watershed, Bazian City, west of
Sulaimaniyah, north of Iraq (35º57’31’’N, 45º 17’98’’E), the soil fertility was analyzed
before the application of kinds of soil biofertilizer like dry yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae with two concentrations (5g-L, 10 g-L) of dry yeast. Biofertilizers, organic
matter like humic acid and chemical fertilizer for more comparison and water as a
control. Results using dry yeast (10 g-L) have significant differences in (P≤0.05) on the
vegetable parameters, plant height, leaf area, yield, the number of harvest day and the
weight of root system. Also the humic acid and biofertilizers have a significant effect
(P≤0.05). The yeast (10 g/L) have significant differences on (P≤0.05) on yield (1.3
ton/ha) comparing with control of 48.73 kg/5 m2, and the total leaf area of 1.5 m2
comparing with the control 1.16 m2. The experiment was performed as factorial with
randomized completely block design (R.C.B.D) on Cucumber plant type of (SAIF F1)
with three replicates; each unit from the 18 unite (plot) contained 18 cucumber plant.
The data were analyzed by using XLSTAT program statistically analyst.

This study was conducted in Tainal watershed, Bazian City, west of
Sulaimaniyah, north of Iraq (35º57’31’’N, 45º 17’98’’E), the soil fertility was analyzed
before the application of kinds of soil biofertilizer like dry yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae with two concentrations (5g-L, 10 g-L) of dry yeast. Biofertilizers, organic
matter like humic acid and chemical fertilizer for more comparison and water as a
control. Results using dry yeast (10 g-L) have significant differences in (P≤0.05) on the
vegetable parameters, plant height, leaf area, yield, the number of harvest day and the
weight of root system. Also the humic acid and biofertilizers have a significant effect
(P≤0.05). The yeast (10 g/L) have significant differences on (P≤0.05) on yield (1.3
ton/ha) comparing with control of 48.73 kg/5 m2, and the total leaf area of 1.5 m2
comparing with the control 1.16 m2. The experiment was performed as factorial with
randomized completely block design (R.C.B.D) on Cucumber plant type of (SAIF F1)
with three replicates; each unit from the 18 unite (plot) contained 18 cucumber plant.
The data were analyzed by using XLSTAT program statistically analyst.

A total of 128 fish samples including 70 Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758,
10 Leuciscus vorax (Heckel, 1843), 40 Oreochromis aureus (Steindachner, 1864) and
eight Planiliza abu (Heckel, 1843) were collected during the period from November
2016 to May 2017. Seven different localities (floating cages, earthen ponds and natural
water) in Basrah were investigated. Among some detected fish diseases, whirling
disease symptoms was reported for the first time in Iraq in April 2017, from two C.
carpio cultured in earthen fish ponds of Marine Science Centre, University of Basrah.
The infested fish were dwarfed, with abnormal big head and small body. Grossly signs
of the diseases represent fins and tail deformities in addition to open ulcers and losing
of scales, and necrosis of skin and muscles. Internally, fish suffered of muscles
ecchymosis and vertebral deformities. Histological sections revealed that the spinal
cord had healthy structure.