To investigate salt stress and inoculation effects on nodulation and growth of forage cowpea (Vigna unguiculata cv. Baladi), experiments were conducted under laboratory, greenhouse and field conditions. Six isolates were tested for salt tolerance by culturing in liquid medium supplemented with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 g L-1 NaCl and for their nodulation and N 2-fixation abilities under different soil salinity (1.87, 3.16, 5.88, 9.12 and 12.14 dS m-1), were evaluated, followed by application of single and dual inoculation with the two selected halo-tolerant isolates on the growth dynamics in salt-affected soils (9.12 dS m-1), under normal and saline irrigation water during 2016 and 2017 seasons. In liquid medium supplemented with 30 g L-1 NaCl, results showed that isolate of SARS-Rh5 was the most tolerant to grow compared to the others. In respect to the inoculation, the highest values of plant height (20.26 and 20.73 cm plant-1), dry weight of plant (1.08 and 1.11 g plant-1), dry weight of nodules (0.056 and 0.056 g plant-1), and nitrogen content (22.26 and 23.82 mg plant-1), were Original Research Article content were noticed during the two growing seasons. So that, the inoculation of cowpea plants grown under soil salinity conditions with tolerant Bradyrhizobium is very urgent to help the plant to circumvent the unfavourable conditions.

during 2019 season. The purpose of the research was to study the effect of priming duration (6, 8 and 10 hours) and seed priming (hydro-priming, 50, 75 and 100 mgL -1 of salicylic acid, 1, 2 and 3 % of KH2PO4 and 1, 2 and 3 % of ZnSO4 ) and dry seed on improving germination of seed and seedling vigor of white hybrid teosinte. Results indicated that six hours priming duration gave the highest germination percentage, seedling vigor, speed germination index and seedling vigor index. Seed treatment with 2 % of KH2PO4 was the best treatment followed by salicylic acid 100 mgL -1 and 3 % of ZnSO4 recorded the highest seed germination%, seedling vigor, speed germination index and seedling vigor index. Hydro-priming produced the higher values of most traits such as plumule and radical length, seedling dry weight, speed germination index and the lowest in electrical conductivity. The interaction effect was significantly where six hours duration and seed priming with 2% KH2PO4, 3% of ZnSO4 and 100 mgL -1 of salicylic acid were the highest germination% and seedling vigor and insignificant with hydro-priming. The lowest values of EC produced by 6 hours with 2% of KH2PO4 followed by 3% of ZnSO4 and hydro-priming. We can conclude that hydro-priming for 6 hours before sowing of white hybrid teosinte increased germinationpercentage to reach 80% compared to dry seed, also seedling vigor characters.

A STUDY was carried out to assess the effect of single and/or combined inoculation with Bradyrhizobium spp. isolates on seed yield and quality of forage cowpea (Vigna unguiculata cv. Baladi) under salinity-affected soil conditions. The experiment was conducted in a split plot design for two growing seasons, 2018 and 2019, with two main plot treatments of irrigation water (normal and saline) and four sub-plot inoculation treatments. Results revealed that sub-main plot treatments differed significantly for number of branches, number of pods, pod length, number of seeds pod-1 , pod weight plot-1 (Kg) and seed yield (Kg fed-1) of forage cowpea plants as affected by the type of irrigation water in the two growing seasons. Also, combination treatment (Bradyrhizobium SARS-Rh3 and Bradyrhizobium SARS-Rh5) significantly minimized the negative effects of saline irrigation water treatment for seed content of elements (N, P, K, Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu). In the same context, inoculation treatments followed the descending order of SARS-Rh3 + SARS-Rh5>SARS-Rh5>SARS-Rh3 > control for total carbohydrate and protein % of cowpea seeds during 2018 and 2019 seasons. For assessment of seed quality viz., seed germination (%), seedling length (cm), seedling weight (g), vigour index I and vigour index II were higher in 2019 than 2018 season. Similar finding was observed in economic evaluation for SARS-Rh3+SARS-Rh5 treatment which enhanced profitability of cowpea during the two growing seasons.

Seed priming is a technique, which could improve the germination and establishment on the seeds, which were stored for 1.5 years under normal conditions. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of different seed priming techniques, through un-soaked seed (control), Hydro-priming (soaked with distill water), 25 ppm of salicylic acid, 1.5% of Calcium chloride (CaCl2) and 3% of Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) for 10 hours on seed germination%, seedling vigor and forage yield of two sudangrass genotypes (Piper black and Giza1). Two experiments (laboratory and field) were conducted at Sakha Agric. Res. Station, ARC, Egypt, during the two successive summer seasons 2019 and 2020.The results obtained indicated that 25 ppm of salicylic acid followed by 1.5% of CaCl2 and 3% of KH2PO4 treatments significantly affected on seed germination percentage, shoot and root length, fresh and dry seedling weight, seed vigor index, seedling vigor index, electrical conductivity and forage yield. Piper black genotypes were the highest in seed germination percentage, seed vigor index and seedling dry weight, but it was the lowest of electrical conductivity. It could be concluded that seed priming may serve as an appropriate treatment for accelerating the emergence so improve cutting and forage yield of sudangrass genotypes under study. Significant differences for fresh yield ton /hectare and piper black had higher fresh, dry and total yield ton /hectare than Giza1. Seed priming had highly significant differences at all cuts in the two seasons and SA25 ppm Salsilc acid treatment had superior and the highest dry yield in the two seasons, while control treatment was the lowest dry yield. Technique of seed priming led to improving germination, seedling characters, and forage yield under experiment conditions in comparison to non-primed seed (dry seed) in sudangrass seed stored for 1.5 years. Salicylic acid with 25 ppm had the highest values followed by1.5% of CaCl2 and 3% of KH2PO4 in the field conditions. Piper black genotype was the best as compared with Giza1 genotype, which gave the highest seed germination %, seedling vigor and viability. May be recommended for hydropriming seeds for 10 hours in water, which led to an increase in the total fresh yield by 30%, the highest seed germination percentage (94.00 and 92.50%), seed vigor index (20.79 and 19.84) and seedling vigor index (2194.11 and 2236.47) as practical seeds about 10 hours treatment.

The present study aimed to evaluate the productivity of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) genotypes to select the promising genotypes for fresh and dry forage yields and its traits of thirteen selected genotypes of pearl millet from forty eight genotypes. The experiments grown in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications at Sids Agricultural Research Stations, in 2021 and 2022 summer seasons. Studied traits showed highly significant different of mean squares for genotypes. Analysis of variance for 13 Pearl millet genotypes revealed highly significant variation for total fresh and dry forage yield whereas the highest one was millet6 followed by population Shandawal 1 and population millet Sids 3 which had 85.5, 80.8 and 74.9 kg/plot, respectively. While, the lowest one were millet10 followed by millet12 and millet11 which had 44.9,45.0 and 46.5 kg/plot, respectively. Also, the highest mean values for total dry yield were millet 6 followed by population shandawal 1and population millet Sids 3 which had 12.2,11.1 and 9.6 kg/plot, respectively. Variance components of total fresh forage yield for combined showed that grand mean 58.6, (δ2p 385.9) and(δ2g 383.1) and genetic advance 40.3. Also, total dry yield had 7.37,11.25,11.16 and 6.88 for grand mean, δ2p, δ2g and genetic advance, respectively. The most discriminating environment for millet genotype which is due to the differences between δ2g and δ2p. Also, the effects of the difference between genotypes were high. Heritability values were high for total fresh and dry yield which had 99.64 and 99.59,respectively. Heritability estimates increased when the differences between (G.C.V. %) and P.C.V. % values were the least values. The results cleared that were variations between all studied genotypes had possibility used these genotypes to improve the studied traits during breeding program. The results indicated that millet 6, population Shandawal 1 and population Sids 3 had the best genotypes and could be used in breeding program for fresh and dry yield, plant height, fresh and dry leaf stem percent.

The present study was carried out at Sakha Agricultural Research Station in the summer 2020 and 2021 seasons. Ten summer forage crops namely, Millet Saudia Arabia, Selection Millet1, Selection Millet2, Millet Shandawel 1, Sudangrass Giza1, Sudangrass Piper black ,Sorghum SX-17  were evaluated for downy mildew and common smut diseases and   forage yield and some traits. Three cuts were taken from the seven fresh forage crops and only one cut for silage from maize (95 days), Teosinte and maize × teosinte (100days). Mean values of forage crops genotypes revealed significant to highly significant differences. Piper black had the highest fresh and dry forage yields at the three cuts and total over  the two seasons which had  (26.4,22.3,17.1 and 65.7kg/plot) for fresh and  5.3,2.8,2.5 and 10.59 for dry yield ,respectively . For combined data millet Shandawal 1 had 46.7 kg/plot, and  7.8 kg/plot ,while Saudia Arabia Millet gave 31.3 and 4.9 kg/plot, for total fresh and dry forage yields, respectively, so  Shandawal 1 surpass Saudia Arabia by 49.2 and 59.2% for fresh and dry yield . Also, sorghum, piper black surpass SX-17 by 19.2 and 26.5 % for total fresh and dry yield, respectively. Maize SC168 x Teosinte Sakha was the highest for plant height (298 cm) ,stem diameter (2.9 cm) ,fresh/leaf stem percent(81%) and fresh forage yield (69 kg/plot) and exceed teosinte by 5.7,93.3,24.6 and 8.7% ,respectively . Meanwhile, exceed maize SC168 by 11.2, 16.0, 72.3 and 122.6%for plant height ,stem diameter ,fresh/leaf stem percent  and fresh forage yield ,respectively. Saudia Arabia Millet and hybrid SX -17 were susceptible (s) to downy mildew disease on the other hand pearl millet 2,3,Giza 1 and piper black were resistance ( R ) to downy mildew disease at the three cuts in the two seasons . The local pearl millet1 , pearl millet2 , and pearl millet 3 (Shandawal 1) recorded the lowest percent of total infection by downy mildew disease1.666,0.000 and 1.333% respectively, also Giza 1 and piper black genotypes recorded the lowest percent of total infection by downy mildew disease which had  2.13 and 4.13% ,respectively. These tested local pearl millet and Giza 1 and piper black , were resistant(R) to downy mildew disease and can be used in breeding programs as sources of resistance to tested disease, In the revers , the imported pearl millet (Saudia Arabia pearl millet) and hybrid sorghum SX -17 were susceptible and recorded 20.33and 34.26, respectively. These results indicated dangerousness of importing susceptible materials. On the other hand, teosinte genotype was resistant to infection by downy mildew disease and the total infection percent was 0.000 in the first reading and 0.666% in the second , but maize was susceptible and recorded (16.70%) as total infection. Therefore the crossing between maize and teosinte resulted in moderate resistant (MR) whereas, 5.966% and 5.166% in the first and second reading. As common smut, teosinte was susceptible (s) but maize and maize x teosinte hybrid were moderate resistant (MR) for common smut infection disease. Finely, the local genotypes are better than the imported Saudi Arabia millet. Hybrid maize x teosinte was the best had more than twice maize silage yield (122.6%).

The present study was carried out at Sakha Agricultural Research Station (clayey soils) during 2018 and 2019 to find out the role of water deficit on yield and some water relations for sorghum and cowpea summer forage crops. Three irrigation levels were executed; 100% (full irrigation), 90% (10% deficit) and 80% (20% deficit). Results showed that increasing water deficit, markedly led to decreasing fresh, dry yield and plant height at the three cuts in the two seasons. Regarding water relations, irrigation level with 90% (10% deficit) resulted in several advantages; almost same yield as recorded under full irrigation, 10% water saving as well as the highest values of water productivity (WP) and productivity of irrigation water (PIW). The mean values of fresh sorghum forage yield can be arranged in descending order as; 2917.0 > 2857.5 > 2561.0 kg.plot-1, while the corresponding values of the dry weight were; 381.6> 367.8> 319.6 kg.plot-1. Plant height for cowpea slightly affected with different irrigation treatments. On the contrary, both fresh and dry yields were significantly affected with water level or deficit irrigation. Moreover, the effect was highly significant in connection with the combined analysis. In this regard, mean values of fresh yield descending arranged as; 1502.5> 1447.0> 1321.5 kg.plot-1 for treatments A(control), B (90%) and C (80%), respectively. The corresponding values regarding dry yield are 253.5, 241.0 and 215.4 kg.plot-1. Comparing the deficit treatments with the control irrigation (Trt. A), overall mean decrease in fresh yield was 3.7% for treatment B (90%) and 12% for treatment C (80%). While, the corresponding decrease in dry yield were 4.9% and 15.0%.We can conclude that forage yield of sorghum and cowpea  not affect by water irrigation deficit about 10% at Middle North Nile Delta area.

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