Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are of the secondary nutrients that required by plants for healthy growth. So, two field experiments were conducted at Kafr Bosat Village, Talkha District, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt (Latitude 30° 43 ' 22.01" N, Longitude 30° 16' 44.50" E) during the winter growing seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 to investigate the effect of foliar Ca and Mg application and their interactions on the growth, yield, quality, nutrient concentration and uptake of potato crop (Solanum tuberosum, L. -c.v. salany) that grown in clay loam soil. The experiment was designed as a spilt plot design with three replicates; the main plots were assigned for three levels of foliar application of Mg; Mg 0, Mg 1 and Mg 2 (control, 0.2 and 0.4 % Mg as magnesium sulfate), and the sub plots were devoted to three levels of foliar Ca; Ca 0, Ca 1 and Ca 2 (control, 0.6 and 0.8 % Ca as calcium nitrate). Results showed the importance of Ca and Mg supplies, where they illustrated that foliar application of Ca and Mg levels significantly increased plant growth parameters at 90 days as plant fresh weight, leaf area and chlorophyll a, b and total concentrations; tubers yield and its quality as % of dry matter, starch and protein contents, and uptake of N, P, K, Ca and Mg (kg fed -1 ) in shoots and tubers at harvest. Plant tuber yield and average tuber weight increased with increasing foliar application of Ca, whereas number of tubers plant -1 was decreased. Also, results at 90 days, demonstrated that foliar application of Ca and Mg levels significantly increased N, Ca and Mg concentrations in leaves, but K concentration was decreased. At harvest, tubers content of N, P, K, Ca and Mg increased significantly with foliar application of Ca up to Ca 2 (0.8 % Ca) and spraying with Mg up to level Mg 1 (0.2 % Mg). Interaction between foliar application of Ca and Mg levels had a significant effects on plant growth parameters, tubers yield and its quality and nutrients uptake in dry shoots and tubers yield. The highest values of tubers yield (17.251 ton fed -1 ), dry matter % of tuber (24.78 %), starch % (18.24 %) and contents of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in shoots and tubers were recorded by the interaction of Ca 2 ×Mg 1 . It could be concluded that foliar applications of Ca and Mg at 0.8 % Ca as calcium nitrate and 0.2 % Mg as magnesium sulphate were more important to improve plants growth and increase tubers yield and their quality under this conditions.

A pot experiment was conducted at the Experimental Station Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University during the winter season of 2013/2014 to investigate the effect of phosphorus, nitrogen and copper fertilization on yield and nutrients uptake of onion (Allium cepa L.). The experiment was carried out in factorial experiment in complete randomized block design (CRBD) with three replications. The obtained results could be summarized as the following: -Fertilizing onion plants with the highest level of phosphorus fertilizer (100 kg P 2 O 5 fed -1 ) produced the highest values of all studied characters in the season. -Application of the highest level of nitrogen fertilizer (150 kg N fed -1 ) produced the highest values of yield, quality and nutrients uptake characters of onion in the season. -Foliar spraying of onion plants with Cu at rate of 50 ppm significantly surpassed control treatment (without spraying with Cu) and produced the highest values of all studied characters in the season. It can be concluded that fertilizing onion plants with 100 kg P 2 O 5 fed -1 and 150 kg N fed -1 in addition to foliar spraying with 50 ppm Cu in the form of CuSO 4 at three times in order to maximizing its yield, quality and nutrients uptake under the environmental conditions of Mansoura district, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt.

In Egypt, the improvement of degraded soils is considered as an important issue in the agricultural security program. Large amounts of sugar industrial wastes such as sugar lime mud is producing annually causing some issues to the environment if not exploited. So, a pot trial was carried out to evaluate the influence of some soil amendments on enhancing some chemical and physical characteristics of some degraded soils of Egypt. Three soil types (saline, sandy and sodic soils) were used and treated with three soil amendments i.e. compost, agricultural gypsum and sugar beet mud which were applied to the three studied soils (two weeks before sowing) at three rates (0.5, 1 and 1.5%, equivalent to 2.5, 5 and 7.5 g pot-1 , respectively) and moisted after addition to the saturation limit. Soils were cultivated with barley. At the end of the trail, undisturbed soil samples were taken from each treatment .The findings show that barley seeds did not succeed in germination under sodic soil conditions, while seeds succeed in germination under saline and sandy soils. Generally, soil addition of all studied amendments at all rates pronouncedly improved all studied chemical and physical characteristics of saline, sandy and sodic soils compared to control treatment (without soil addition), but the improvement increased with the increase of adding rate of all soil amendments under study, where the best values were recorded due to the soil addition rate of 1.5% followed by 1% and 0.5%, respectively for all soil characteristics. Also, the results confirm that sugar beet mud as a new soil amendment in Egypt is beneficial for improving degraded soils due to its high content from organic matter and calcium.

A pots experiment was executed aim to evaluate the influence of Co, Ni, Fe, Mo and B at different rates(0.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg L -1 )with different application methods(foliar application and soil addition)on the performance of wheat plants grown on alluvial and sandy soils.Plant performance at periods of 30 and 60 days from sowing expressed in plant height, fresh and dry weights and N, P, K content in straw as well as the nutrient status of grains (N, P, K) and other characteristics at harvest stage i.e., spike length and weight and No. of tillers plant -1 were evaluated. The superior beneficial element was Ni compared to other studied elements, while Mo came in the second-order followed by Co then Fe and lately B. All studied elements, except B, caused improve plant performance which was enhanced as the added rate of these elements increased (either with foliar or soil additions).Regarding plants received B either with foliar or soil additions, the values of all studied traits significantly increased with increasing B rate from 0.0 mg L -1 to 2.5 and 5.0 mg L -1 and then significantly decrease at 10.0 mg L -1 due to appearing B toxicity. Foliar application method was most effective than soil addition method. Performance of plants grown on alluvial soil was better than that of plants grown on sandy soil. Generally, it can be concluded that Ni may have a vital role in N fixation more than other studied elements and this was reflected on wheat plant growth.

Two field experiments were conducted during the two consecutive growing seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 at Sakha Agriculture Research Station Farm, Kafr EL-sheikh governorate. The aim of study was to evaluate the effect of three irrigation discharge rates (2.5, 3.5 and 4 L.sec-1 m-1) and three cutoff irrigations (100%, 90% and 85% from border length), which were randomly arranged under each irrigation discharge on wheat yield and its components, some water relations, irrigation efficiencies and the contribution of ground water table. The results revealed that the combination of irrigation discharge 4 L sec-1 m-1 and cutoff irrigation at 85% of border length achieved the lowest values of seasonal applied water and water consumptive use and the highest values of following parameters ; crop water use efficiency (CWUE), Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), water consumptive use efficiency (Ecu, %), water application efficiency (EI, %), Grain and straw yields, NPuptake and crude protein and ground water contribution (Gwc, %). Moreover, it increased the amount and percentage of water saving 242.34 m3 fed-1 (about 9.60%), total income, net income, and net income per water unit for both wheat grain and biological yields. Also, the economic efficiency, during both seasons. On the other hand, the highest values of water distribution efficiency (Ewd, %) have resulted from the combination of irrigation discharge rates (4 or 3.5 L sec-1 m-1) and cutoff irrigation at 100% of border length. It could be concluded that the combination of irrigation discharge 4 L sec-1 m-1 and cutoff irrigation at 85% of border length was the most profitable for irrigated wheat crop, as well as, the benefit of contributing ground water table in saving some of water requirements for the crop, ground water table contribution of great importance as an additional source of irrigation water, especially under the prevailing conditions of water shortage in Egypt.

Two field trials were conducted at El-Serw Agricultural Research Station, Dammietta governoratethrough summer season 2014 and 2015, to study the effect of organic matter as compost (20 m 3 .fed -1 ) (hectare = 2.4 fed), sulfur fertilization (0, 10, 20 and 40 kg S fed -1 ) and zinc fertilization (0, 4, 8 and 16 kgZnfed -1 ) on rice grain and straw yield, N, P and K uptake for rice crop (Oryza sativa), variety Giza 178. The results showed that rice grain and straw yield and N, P and K-uptake in grain and straw increasing with the use of zinc fertilization rates up to 16 kg Znfed,. As well as the results showed that 40 kg S fed -1 , 20 and 10 kg S fed -1 of sulfur fertilizers, respectively gave the highest values of the previous parameters. Also, the results showed that the use of organic matter as a compost gave the highest values of the previous parameters for rice crop. Organic matter + 40kg S fed -1 + 16 kg Znfed -1 gave high rice grain and straw yield and N, P and K-uptake in grain and straw.Therefore,it preferably add zinc (16 kg Zn fed -1 in form ZnSO 4 ) and mineral sulfur fertilization (40 kg S fed -1 ) with organic fertilizer to produce high rice crop under saline soil in North Delta.

The limitation of water resources and the remarkable increase in population should be forced research workers to find ways for saving water without significant reduction in yield. The objective of this paper is to study the interaction effect of deficit irrigation and raised bed on wheat yield, water productivity and water saving in north Nile delta, Egypt. Two field experiments were conducted at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh governorate during the two successive seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. A split plot design with four replications was used. Irrigation treatments occupied the main plots, while planting methods arranged in subplots. Three planting methods were flat (traditional method, F1), bed 70cm wide (F2) and raised bed 140cm wide (F3). Four deficit irrigation treatments were irrigated every 21 days (farmer treatment, I1); the second one after 60% (I2) , the third one after 70% (I3) and the fourth one after 80% (I4) depletion of available soil moisture (ASMD). Results showed that mean of amount of irrigation water applied for DI1, DI2, DI3 and DI4 were 4759.2, 4497.6, 3808.8, and 3360.0 m 3 /ha., respectively, and means of water table contribution to ETc were 559.2 and 765.6 m 3 /ha. for I3 and I4 , respectively. Means of irrigation water applied were 4524, 4034.4 and 3763.2 m 3 /ha. for F1, F2 and F3, respectively. F3 and F2 saved 17% and 11% of irrigation water compared with F1, respectively. F3 significantly increased grain and straw yields by 16 and 18% compared to F1. The interaction between DI2 and F3 and between DI1 and F1 resulted in higher grain and straw yields. Means values of water productivity were 5.7, 6.1 and 6.1 L.E /m 3 correspond to 1.2 , 1.18 and 1.5 kg grain/m 3 water applied for F1, F2 and F3 respectively .

A field experiment was conducted during the two summer growing seasons 2009 and 2010 at the Demonstration Field for Modern Irrigation Systems at Sakha Agricultural Research Station. The main objective of this study was to find out some practical effective ways regarding saving water particularly under the present status of water shortage facing Egypt. Gated pipes as improved surface irrigation technique was used for irrigating maize and the studied irrigation practices were; traditional irrigation or every furrow irrigation (EFI-Trt.A), cutoff irrigation (Trt.B), in addition two techniques of alternative furrow irrigation either fixed (FAI-Trt.C) or nonfixed alternate furrow irrigation (EAI-Trt.D). Moreover, two methods regarding computation of irrigation water should be applied; Ibrahim (Trt.E) and Penman-Monteith (Trt.F). Obtained findings indicated that some suitable techniques could be practiced regarding water saving without significant reduction in marketable grain yield. The mean values of maize grain yield can be ranked as; 3.6, 3.4=3.4, 3.3=3.3 and 2.8 ton.fed-1 obtained under treatments; E, B, D, A, C and F, respectively. While the highest water saving of nearly 12% equaled 353 m 3 .fed-1 or about 880 million m 3 at the national level (2.5 million feddan, 1 fed= 0.42 ha) could be obtained by; using gated pipes as improved surface irrigation, laser land leveling and executing either cutoff or alternate irrigation techniques. Moreover, accurate computation of irrigation water should be applied without excess or less than the actual water needs for the growing plants and depending on the availability of climate elements. In this direction, either Ibrahim equation that mainly depending upon pan evaporation and suitable for the studied area or the FAO Penman-Monteith equation could be used in computing irrigation water.