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Six field experiments were conducted in Giza Agricultural Research Station, Egypt during 2010, 2011 and 2012 growing seasons to study the effect of two types of N fertilizers (urea and urea form as slow-release (UF)) on intercropping cowpea with sunflower and intercropping wheat with pea. A split plot design with three replications was used. The results indicated that insignificant effect of cropping systems was found for sunflower and significant effect was found for cowpea yield. Significant effect of N fertilizers was found on sunflower and insignificant effect was found for cowpea yield. Furthermore, insignificant effect of interaction of cropping systems and N fertilizers was found for sunflower and significant effect was found for cowpea yield. With respect to wheat and pea intercropping, both crops were significantly affected by intercropping system. Significant effect of N fertilizers was found on wheat and insignificant effect was found for pea yield. Both wheat and pea were significantly affected by the interaction of cropping system and N fertilizers. Yield advantage was achieved because land equivalent ratio exceeded 1.00. Dominance analysis proved that leguminous crop is dominated component. Thus, the studied intercropping systems could be recommended to farmers due to its beneficial returns.

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This study has been carried out through an experiment conducted at El-Giza Agricultural Research Station to examine the short-term effects (3 years) of two cropping patterns-based on intercropping system and N fertilization on quantifying of crop& soil carbon sequestration and soil carbon dioxide emissions targeting to test the ability of this management to mitigate global warming which produced from increased concentration of atmospheric CO 2 which would essentially reflect upon climate change mitigation .Also, the impact of soil temperature and moisture changes as factors affected such emissions have put into consideration. The first intercropping pattern has been sunflower/cowpea (Helianthusannuus, va.Sakha, 53/Vigna unguiculata. local).Second intercropping pattern has been wheat/peas (Triticum aestivum L va, Sakha 94/Pisum sativum Lva, Master b.).The first intercropping pattern has been arranged in 2:2,2:3 rows of sunflower: cowpea, sole sunflower and sole cowpea (4 configurations) while the 3: 2,5:2 rows of wheat: peas , sole peas and sole wheat (4 configurations) have been done for the second pattern. The N-fertilizers have been urea and ureaform (slow release nitrogen fertilizer); in rate of 60kg N fed-1 for sunflower/cowpea intercrop,110 kg N fed-1 for wheat/peas intercrop, 30 kg N fed-1 forsole sunflower and 30 kg N fed-1 for sole cowpea from urea added for every season.100kg N fed-1 for sunflower/cowpea intercrop,50kgN fed-1 for sole sunflower and 50kgN fed-1 for sole cowpea from ureaform added for every two seasons. Wheat/peas intercrop; sole wheat and sole peas (in second season) have not been taken N-fertilizer but grown on the residual ureaform-N. Soil CO 2 emissions have been weekly measured from October 3 rd , 2010 to May 9 th , 2013, us ingstatic chamber technique. Such emissions have been absorbed through NaOH followed by HCl titration. Also, soil temperature and moisture have been weekly recorded. Soil sampling after harvest has been taken to determine some physical and chemical properties. After three years of practicing this management, the results indicate that, under the conditions of this experiment, soil temperature varied between 12and 45Cº at 5 cm depth, soil moisture varied between 2 and 55% at the same depth. Statistically, they have shown no or poor correlations with soil emitted-CO 2 .The quantities of soil-CO 2 emitted from irrigated plot treatments and determined in summer seasons have been higher than those of non-irrigated ones and those determined in winter seasons. Intercrops patterns and UF fertilizer have been contributed to obtain a lower emitted CO 2 quantities from soil compared to sole crops patterns and urea fertilizer. The obtained yield from intercrops patterns treatments and UF fertilizer have been higher than those of sole crops patterns ones and urea fertilizer. Intercrops patterns and UF fertilizer have been found to be efficient in increasing sequestered carbon either in crop biomass or in soil; the crop sequestered-C relative increase for intercrops to sole crop...

Background: The Egyption fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus, is considered a harmful pest that attacks agricultural crops, especially ripe fruits, causing economic losses. It is widespread in African sahara desert, Egypt, Pakistan and Northern India. This pest causes damage to many vegetables and fruits. The measuring of damage percentage will aid in the protection of these crops from bats attacking. Methods: The losses caused by Egyptian bats were estimated during two years (2019 and 2020) in many fruit orchards (date palm, citrus, apricot and mango) in reclaimed lands at Butt village, Dakhla Oasis, New-valley Governorate, to achieve integrated management of bat populations. Result: Only one species the Egyptian fruit bat, R. aegyptiacus, has been recorded with 167 individuals attacking fruit orchards. The highest average losses (11.1%) were found in date palms, from August to Oct., while the lowest (4.7%) were found in Apricot, during June and July. The second-highest losses were 7.6% in mango from June to August. The damage began from December to March in citrus with an average loss percent of 7.0%. Therefore, bat dens must be monitored and dealt with to limit their populations and reduce their losses to these value crops in El-Dakhla Oasis.

About 470 bird species known from Egypt. The majority are non-breeding migrants, passing through the country, exploiting the wide range of habitat types unique for their life, including agricultural habitats. A survey of wild bird carried out in three agricultural districts, El-Badrasheen, El-Aayyat and El-Hawamdiah districts, in Giza Governorate, from March 2018 to February 2020, using the point transect method. Twenty-eight species belonging to nine orders and twenty-five families recorded. House sparrow (passer domesticus niloticus) and Hooded Crow (xuvroc suvurc suvroC) were the only recorded noxious species, damaging wheat and corn crops. House sparrow damage to wheat start after the first week of the panicles emergence causing 21.4 % and 19 % losses, with the highest loss rate of 5.7 and 6.1% during 1 st of April at El-Badrasheen and El-Aayyat districts, respectively. The damage percent were 16.3 and 14.5% to corn by hooded crow in both districts from the 1 st week of August up to the 2 nd week of September and the highest loss rate were 5.4 and 4.2% during the 4 th week of August in the two districts, respectively. It is advisable to apply damage control programs against house sparrow populations at the beginning of February in wheat fields, and against hooded crow populations at the beginning of June in corn fields in these areas.

Two field experiments were carried out at Bahr Hadous drain and El-Salam canal locations in Sahl El-Hossinia , El-Sharkia -Governorate, Egypt, for winter seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, to study the effect of humic acid application on some physical and chemical soil properties and fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) productivity and quality in saline soil conditions irrigated with different water sources i.e. [Bahr Hadoos drainage water and Nile water from El-Salam canal mixed with agricultural drainage (1:1)].The obtained results show a noticeable reduction in soil pH and salinity as a result of treating the soil with humic acid compared to control. The effect is more obvious in case of applying humic acid high rate of (2400 ml/400 L water,T 4 ) irrigated with El-Salam canal water than Baher Hados drain water .The soil O.M content and cation exchange capacity values were improved by applying humic acid high rate where soil OM content reached 0.80 and 0.73 % in case of using El-Salam canal and Baher Hados drain water compared with 0.63 and 0.55 % for control treatment, respectively. The highest diameter of dry aggregates was affected by the application of humic acid high rate with El-Salam canal water than Baher Hados drain water .Moreover, the maximum values of total stable aggregates were obtained in case ofhumic acid high rate using El-Salam canal water compared to Baher Hados drain water and control treatments. The data also show that the values of hydraulic conductivity were lowand increased by humic acid application. The highest value of hydraulic conductivity was obtained in case of applying humic acid high rate using El-Salam canal water than Baher Hados drain watercompared to control treatment. Applying humic acid high rate decreased the soil bulk density and increased total soil porosity valuesusingEl-Salam canal water as compared to Baher Hados drain water and control treatments. The maximum values of field capacity and available water were recordedin case of applying humic acid high rate using El-Salam canal than Baher Hados drain water compared to control. The result show an increase in fodder beet yield in all treatments compared to control and was higher in the case of humic acid high rate with El-Salam canal than Baher Hados drain water. Generally, the study recommends using humic acid (2400 ml/400 L water,T 4 ) with El-Salam canal or Baher Hados drain which improves soil chemical and physical properties and thus increases the productivity of saline soil.

This work was carried out to investigate some physical and chemical properties of salt-affected soils adjacent to Qaroun, El Borollus and Edku lakes of Egypt. Three soil profiles were taken at distances of 1.5, 10 and 20 km. from the shoreline of every lake. Undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were taken at depths of 0-30, 30-60 and 60-90 cm .The undisturbed soil samples were used for the determination of soil total porosity, pore size distribution, soil moisture retention curves, hydraulic conductivity and the soil aggregate size distribution. The disturbed soil samples were air-dried, ground to pass through a 2 mm sieve and kept for the chemical determinations. The obtained results indicated that the studied soil samples contain high total soluble salts which tend to decrease with increasing both soil sampling depth and the distance from the shoreline of different lakes under study. The high values of total soluble salts exist in case of soil samples of Qaroun lake followed by those of Borollus and Edku lakes .The values of soil pH in the studied soil samples ranged between 8.00 and 8.60 whereas CEC ranged from 35.21 to 51.21 c mol kg soil-1 , and the soil contents of both organic matter and CaCO3 were relatively low and tended to decrease by increasing soil depth. Soil bulk density and soil total porosity values of the studied soil sample were increased by increasing soil depth and distance from the lakes shoreline. The high values of soil total porosity were found in case of Qaroun lake soils. The values of soil hydraulic conductivity (K) were decreased by depth. The distance from the lakes shoreline exerts no clear effect on soil hydraulic conductivity and moisture tension curves .The soil moisture content at field capacity had no clear trend with the soil depth but were gradually decreased with the distance increase from the lakes .The highest values of field capacity were found in the soil samples of Qaroun lake .The soil moisture content at wilting point for all studied areas was higher in the surface soil than the subsurface. The percents of dry stable aggregates increased with increasing the soil depth except large size aggregates which have diameters 10-2 mm. The values of total stable aggregates (T.S.A) increased with the increase of the distance from the lake (especially Qaroun and El-Borollus); this may be due to the decrease of soluble salts with the increase of the distance from the lakes. No clear trend was observed for the effect of soil depth and the distance from the lakes on TSA of different soil under study.