No abstract

The materials used in this study were four commercial varieties of Egyptian cotton; two (Giza 86 and Giza 90) belonging to the long staple class and the others (Giza 88 and Giza 92) belonging to the extra-long staple category. Within each variety, nine lint cotton grades namely: Fully Good (FG), Good/Fully Good (G/FG), Good (G), Fully Good Fair/Good (FGF/G), Fully Good Fair (FGF), Good Fair/ Fully Good Fair (GF/FGF), Good Fair (GF), Fully Fair/Good Fair (FF/GF) and Fully Fair (FF) were used. Thus Fully Good (FG) is the top quality grade and the others are progressively lower; i.e. Fully Fair (FF) is the lowest grade. Fiber properties were measured by using the Cotton Classifying System Version-5 instrument (CCS-V5). Data collected for the following characteristics were: reflectance degree (Rd %), yellowness degree (+b), trash%, dust%, fiber fragments%, total trash%, No. of neps and Micronaire value. Mean squares due to all nine grades of long and extra-long staple cotton varieties in combined analysis were highly significant over seasons for all studied characters except yellowness (+b) and fiber fragments% in Giza 92. Highly significant mean performance values of four cotton varieties and nine lint grades for each variety for all studied characters, it became clear that there were significant genetically differences between studied varieties and fiber cotton lint grades within each variety. Gradually increased for yellowness degree, trash%, dust%, fiber fragments%, total trash% (trash, dust, fiber fragments) and number of neps, while gradually decreased for reflectance degree (Rd%) and micronaire value with significant level as transfer for all tested varieties from (FG) grade down to the (FF). All studied varieties showed highly significant negative correlation between fiber cotton grade with yellowness, trash, dust, total trash% and No. of neps, while highly significant positive correlation between fiber cotton grade with reflectance degree and micronaire value. Total trash% and micronaire value as well as reflectance degree and their interactions were the most contributing and influencing of fiber cotton grades. Also these properties and their joint effects are prevailing factors which affect the personal judgment of the grader at evaluating the cotton grade.

No abstract

The present investigation was conducted using six flax genotypes with their 15 F2 crosses grown under two environments {normal soil (E1= Kafr El-Hamam-Shrkia Governorate) and saline soil (E2= Tag El-Ezz,-El Dakahlia Governorate)} to determine the combining ability and gene action of some agronomic flax characters in these entries (parents and their crosses). In 2009/10 season, the six parents { P1= Giza 8, P2 (S.402/1) , P3 (S.420/140/5/11), P4 (S.421/43/14/7), P5 (S.533/39/5/3) and P6 (Daniela)} as well as their 15 progenies were sown in first week of November to evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replicates at the two above-mentioned locations. High ratio of GCA/SCA revealed that additive played greater role than nonadditive genetic effects in the inheritance of straw weight and its components as well as seed weight, 1000-seed weight and number of seeds/capsule under the two environments and combined analysis. On the other hand, both additive and nonadditive types of gene action were involved in the inheritance of number of capsules/plant. Mean squares of interaction between environment and both types of combining ability for most studied traits revealed that the magnitude of both additive and non-additive types of gene action varied from environment to another. Whereas the non-additive genetic effects are more influenced by saline environment than additive effects in each of straw weight, plant height, technical stem length, seed weight, 1000-seed weight and number of seeds per capsule. While, additive gene effects were much more influenced by saline environment than non-additive effects for number of capsules per plant. P5(S.533/39/5/3) exhibited good general combining ability effects for straw weight per plant and its two important components; plant height and technical stem length in addition P2 for both seed weight and 1000-seed weight as well as P1 for 1000-seed weight under the two environments and combined data. For Sij effects, one cross (P5P6) which exhibited positive significant SCA effects for straw weight per plant and its components as well as seed weight per plant and number of capsules per plant in addition three crosses (P1xP3, P1xP6 and P4xP6) for 1000-seed weight under the two environments and combined analysis. Therefore, these crosses are suitable in breeding program for increasing the previous characters. The correlation between cross means and their SCA values was significant and positive for straw weight and its components as well as seed yield and its two important components, number of capsules per plant and 1000-seed weight indicating that high performing crosses were high specific combinations.

No abstract

No abstract

Surface irrigation (gravity) is the most dominant method currently accounts for 80-85% of irrigation water use in Egypt and surface application is by far the dominant irrigation method applied throughout the world. However, water use efficiencies with surface irrigation methods tend to be low. In recent years a number of surface irrigation simulation models for assessing surface irrigation system performance have been developed. One of the most commonly used models SIRMOD, developed by Utah State University, has seen wide use and evaluation throughout the world particularly by researchers and has been shown to offer potential for increasing surface irrigation water use efficiencies. The use of the SIRMOD model as a management tool for improving irrigation efficiencies was found to be a valuable aid. This study aims to validate SIRMOD model for using in Egypt under clay loam soil conditions. The SIRMOD model adequately describes advance and recession times and infiltrated depth under experimental site conditions for the furrow irrigation practice. In particular, for the experimental site the SIRMOD model provided acceptable predictions for 75 m and 50 m furrow lengths under 0.2% field slope, and for 100 m, 75 m and 50 m furrow lengths under 0.5% field slope at the 1st irrigation. For that, the good predicted values were for the later irrigations than the first one, due to the good relationship between the predicted and measured infiltration depths obtained from SIRMOD model which has high accuracy degree for furrow irrigation management decisions. Generally, predicted advance, recession times and infiltrated depth were highly correlating with measured one at 0.2% field slope more than 0.5% field slope for the two irrigations.

Two field experiments were conducted during 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons under new irrigation system (Sprinkler irrigation) at the Experimental Farm of Ismailia Agric Res. Station, ARC, to investigate the impact of fertilization treatments (in terms of mineral N levels either alone or combined with Nitrobein (bio-N fertilizer) on yield quantity and its quality as well as analysis of some flax genotypes i.e. Sakha 3, Viking, Sakha 2 and the flax strain 2419/1. The main finds could be summarized as follows: The results showed that flax Sakha 3 variety ranked first and surpassed the other three genotypes in straw yield characters. While, flax 2419/1 strain achieved highest estimates regarding seed yield characters. There was gradual increments as increasing nitrogen levels either in alone case or combined with Nitrobein (bio-fertilizer) concerning all straw and seed yield characters except for fiber fineness which was decreased. The difference between nitrogen treatment at 60 kg mineral nitrogen /fad + Nitrobein and added 75 kg N/fad did not reach the level of significant in most characters especially fiber, seed and oil yields/fad. The interaction between genotypes and nitrogenous fertilization treatments had significance effect on straw and fiber yield/fed, fiber fineness, 1000 seed weight as well as seed and oil yield/fad. Results revealed positive and significant correlation values between straw yield/fad and each of technical length/ plant, straw yield/plant, fiber yield/fad as well as per plant, fiber length and long fiber%, also between seed yield/fad and each of seed yield/plant, No. of capsules/plant, No. of seeds/capsule, 1000 seed weight and seed oil%. Path coefficient analysis indicated that the long fiber percentage, fiber yield/plant and their interaction considered as the most important characters to increase fiber yield/fad. In the same time, seed yield/plant, No. of seeds/capsule and their interaction had similar effect for increasing seed yield/fad within the studied four flax genotypes. It could be summarized that for maximizing the productivity with best quality, minimizing the production cost of mineral fertilizer and environmental pollution for the tested flax genotypes, it could be recommended to inoculating Sakha 3 variety seed with 1.5kg/fad Nitrobein and fertilized their plants with 60kg/fad mineral nitrogen.