Mesopotamia Journal of Agriculture

Four experiments were conducted to investigate sowing rates (1, 2, 3, or 4g. seeds.mˉ²) effects on lettuce transplant performance, to improve growth and yield of lettuce by populations, plot and furrow cultivations under rainfalls and supplementary irrigation, to boost drought resistance by using either GA3 or NAA rates of 0, 50, 75 or 100 mg.lˉ1. Results of experiment 1 showed that 2 g seeds.mˉ² was the most suitable rate for the high performance transplant productions. It gave transplant numbers of 738.3 in which large, medium and small size transplants constituted 18, 36, and 46%, respectively. Results of experiment 2 revealed that the possibility of producing lettuce under rainfalls only and supplementary irrigation is not required, furrow cultivation was superior to that of plot. It exceeded the latter by 15.4% in term of yield, high population (28 plants.mˉ²) yielded ( 109.1% ) more than that of ( 14 plnt.mˉ²),however it tended to reduce the weight of individual head. The highest yield ( 8.08 kg.mˉ²) was obtained from furrow high population interactions with either rainfalls or supplementary irrigation. Experiment 3 results confirmed that GA3 highly improved the hearting process, particularly 100mg.l-1 treatment which resulted in the highest yield(5.9 kg.mˉ²), bulk density ( 0.2 g.cmˉ³), head size(2150 cm³) and individual head weight (423.3 g). The final experiment 4 results showed that NAA rate of 50 mg.lˉ1 was the most effective treatment as it gave the highest yield ( 3.12 kg.mˉ²), and weight of single head (403.3 g). However NAA rates were inferior to these of GA3.

The purpose of this study to know the Islamic formulas as a substitute for interest rate which can be used in agricultural banks. A number of farmers don't like to deal with agricultural banks that take the familiar interest due to their religious rules , and because of the high costs from which the farmers suffer. Therefore, this research started in an attempt to prove its hypothesis which says that it is much better to use Islamic formulas as a substitute for interest rate. The most important conclusion is that we can apply the Islamic formulas and make use of their positive facilities to help a large number of payees to get loans from agricultural banks. The aim of here to attract more and more farmers to deal with agricultural banks, especially the farmers who reject borrowing loans at any interest. Those farmers prefer only to deal with bank transactions according to the Islamic formulas.

Cholesterol and lipid profile lowering effects of wheat milling by products (wheat bran) compared with cellulose in male Sprague Dawley growing rats was studied. Different levels of cellulose and wheat bran were formulated into seven balanced basal diets to provide 0, 5, 10 and 15 % of both cellulose and wheat bran and fed to rats for 4 weeks. Each diet was also incorporated with 0.2 % pure cholesterol. Results showed that addition of 10 % and more wheat bran significantly (P< 0.05) reduced serum and liver total cholesterol (TC) compared with cellulose. Addition any level of cellulose or wheat bran did not significantly (P<0.05) reduced TC in kidney, heart and spleen of the rats. Whereas, addition of 10 % and more wheat bran significantly (P<0.05) increased fecal TC compared with cellulose. Addition of 10 % and more or 5 % and more of each cellulose and wheat bran, respectively significantly (P<0.05) reduced serum total lipids (TL), whereas incorporated 10 % and more wheat bran in the diets significantly reduced liver TL compared with addition even 15 % of cellulose. There were no significant differences in TL in kidney, heart and spleen after incorporated cellulose and wheat bran in the diets of the rats. Results showed that increasing the levels of wheat bran in the diets of the rats to 10 % and more, significantly (P<0.05) increased the concentration of TL in the feces compared with cellulose. Incorporation of the diets of the rats with 5, 10 and 15 % of both cellulose and wheat bran did not significantly (P<0.05) reduced serum Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) or increased serum High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). However, addition of cellulose and wheat bran insignificantly (P<0.05) reduced serum LDL-c/HDL-c and TC/HDL-c ratios or atherogenic factor. It was concluded that addition of wheat bran may be enhanced the cholesterol lowering effect and reduced the atherogenic factor for growing rats.

This research interests in the topic of agricultural economic surplus as being described as one of the growth elements of agriculture especially in the developing countries and Arab countries .The follow control policies or economic liberation will
give an important economic indicator about the development in such countries .Therefore ,the research aims at studying the direction that may have great agricultural surplus in order to cure the indicators of growing economics in these countries .Then ,we have the estimation of effects that may be created by changes of that surplus and the agricultural economic surplus in the range of agricultural growth for states that follow the policies of liberation and economic control which selected for time series (1980-2002) .Throughout the study ,we have reached to the result that the situations of agriculture in the Arab countries studied in the research whether they are countries of liberation policies or economic control reaches the type of self satisfying agricultures because of small farms and their dispersing here and there leading to lowering the estimated agricultural economic surplus .Also, the traditional agriculture leads to lowering of the capita share causing lowering in farmers savings with wide surplus i.e the work return is affected highly by most of it. This does not mean that the work is with high efficiency ,but the increase of work share at economic production levels reaching zero leading to the leak of the economic surplus away from agricultural growth efforts ,in addition, part of public consumption expenditure depends on the circumstances of the mentioned surplus.

For a period of nine months (October 2003-June 2004), 927 pupils of primary schools, (males and females) in Mosul City were assessed for their nutritional status using nutritional methods and measurements including nutritional history, physical examination (standard chart of weight and height, body mass index) in addition to laboratory estimation of hemoglobin level in blood due to malnutrition. The study aimed at identifying nutritional problems and deficiencies in which nutritional intervention is essential for recovery. The study showed that 58% of primary school pupils were in normal state of nutrition, the remaining 41.7% complaining from malnutrition, 33% of them have mild degree, 1.2% with moderate malnutrition, while over weight diagnosed in 7.5% of student. There were no significant difference between pupils from different socioeconomic levels regarding malnutrition, while over weight showed a high percentage among moderate level group. Related factors to pupils nutritional health diagnosed by this study as: improper nutritional school programs, unhealthy dietary habits among pupils, deficit nutritional educational programs. It has been found that 66% of mild malnourished pupils complaining of anemia. The study suggest a more frequent nutritional surveys at different community's levels, with improvement of nutritional educational programs that emphasize school family participation.

The study aimed calculations of costs, incomes, profits, invested of one dinnar for three groups of local lambs which are feeding and fattening . on the three different rations in the level of protein (12, 13, 15% crude protein respectively). The optimum use of agricultural resources is generally regarded as one of the main tasks of farm management. It reduces farming cost on the one hand and increases profits or farm revenue on the other hand. This however, depends on the competence of farm management and the range of its application to the economic principles which include, some scales especially the farm management competence scale. This study was conducted at the fields of College of Agriculture and Forestry, Mosul University, and it included the economic standard analysis of the data collected from the lamb’s fallening local lambs experiment. The results showed that the third group which fed the third ration was the most profit-making compared wheb with the second and first lambs groups respectively. This profit ran up to 25173, 28302, 30281 Iraqi Dinars for each lamb in every group respectively. The invested Dinars profit reached to 1.366, 1.410 1.404 for the first, second and third groups of the lambs respectively.

A field experiment was conducted in a private potato farm in Mosul City during two spring seasons of 2002 and 2003 , in sandy – loam soil . Liquid paraffin as anti transparent at two concentration ( 0 and 2 % ) were applied twice ( after 53 and 84 ) days from planting , and calcium chloride ( Ca Cl2 ) at three concentration ( 0,1 and 2 % ) were also applied twice ( 47 and 77 ) days from planting , respectively , to improve growth and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum L . CV .Desiree ) , and to reduce the damage of water stress . Plants were exposured to water stress twice by no water supply till plant wilting during tubers formation period ( 51 and 82 days after planting date ) . The study included 12 treatments laid out in Factorial Experiment within Split – Plot Design replicated three times .The results can be summarized as follows: Exposuring potato plants to water stress caused a significant decreases in total water content (TWC) in leaves , leaf area , dry weight of plant , tuber number per plant , tuber weight , plant and marketable yield , and percentage of Ca content in tubers .However , a significant increases was observed in dry matter , percentage , total soluble solids (TSS) and percentage of loss and decayed tubers after storage .
Foliar application of liquid paraffin at 2 % concentration significantly increased the TWC and total chlorophyll content in leaves , tubers number , tuber weight , plant and marketable tuber yield .While no significant effect were found on leaf area , plant dry weight and quantitative characters of tubers . Foliar application of calcium chloride by 1 and 2 % concentration , significantly increased the TWC in leaves , marketable yield , and Ca percentage in tubers. A significant decrease was shown in the percentage of loss and decay in stored tubers .The interaction treatments between liquid paraffin and CaCl2 , significantly decreased the damage effects of water stress on stressed plants and improved growth and yield of unstressed plants , however, the spraying of liquid paraffin and CaCl2 decreased the differences between water stressed and non-water stressed plants in many growth and yield characters .

This experiment was conducted to determine the ability of activated sodium bentonite(ASB) at a concentration of 0.5% to reduce the toxicity of aflatoxins (AF) at 2.5 mg or T-2 toxin at 4 mg/kg of feeds alone or in combination on one–day-old male broiler chicks feed for three weeks. Results indicated the BW gain was reduced significantly (p<0.05) when feeds containing AF or T2 and AF with T-2 toxin to 26.17, 18.88 and 37.38% respectively, and become 17.4, 14 and 30.81% respectively changed from control group when adding ASB. The decreased feed consumption , efficiency feed utilization , the increased relative (liver, kidney, heart, spleen, pancreas, gizzard) proventiculus weights , decreased relative bursal of fabricious , thymus gland weights , increased in the total leucocytes counts , absolute numbers of heterophils , decreased the lymphocyte, monocyte and basophiles were significantly diminished to different degrees by the sorbent in the feed containing AF alone or with T-2 toxin, while the T-2 toxin group was not affected except increased the relative gizzard weight and decreased relative bursal of Fabricious and thymus gland weights and decreased in total leucocytes counts. The adding ASB did not diminish the toxic effects of T-2 toxin on these parameters.

Olive transplants of three cultivars (Khodeiri, Dremalali and Sorani) were sprayed three times during 2004 season with four levels of urea (46%N) (0,0.5,1and1.5%), one month intervals between each spray , the first spray was done at 10/4.Results which were obtained at mid October, indicated that there were a significant increase in the nitrogen concentration in the leaves ,leaf area, stem height and diameter ,number and length of new branches ,dry weight of vegetative growth and roots with the increase of urea concentration in the spray solution. The percentage of increase in these parameters in the fourth treatment ( that sprayed with 1.5% of urea) over the control were 81.08, 57.45, 20.32, 55.18, 365.56, 18.63, 56.70 and 52.25 % respectively . Dremalali cultivar was dominated over Khodeiri and Sorani cultivars in all characteristics studied. The percentage of increase of all parameters in this cultivar over Kodeiri cultivar were

between 5.55-45.90 %, meanwhile the percentage of increase over Sorani cultivar were between 4.11-43.98%. Morever the best treatment was the Dremalali seedlings which sprayed with 1.5% urea .

This work was conducted to study potassium-adsorption-desorption in isotheam calcareau soil of Northern Iraq at three different levels of temperature 278, 298, 318 kº, from the obtained data, The adsorption-desorption curves had been constructed according to first order reaction, The results showed that the increase ot temperature from 278 to 318 kº caused an increase in the rate of coeffient adsorption (11x10-3-18.10-3 min-1) and rate coeffient of desorption from 5.2x10-3 to 7.2x10-3 min-1. The result also showed activation energy adsorption process is less than Ea of desorption, and of processes were control by diffusion process, free energy were negative and decreased with temperature increases.

Three varieties of olives (Bashike, Manzanillo and Dugal) were used to study the chemical and physical changes during growth and maturity (From July to November). The results showed that moisture % of Bashike, Manzanillo and Dugal varieties were significantly (P> 0.05) increased . The highest percentage was noticed during October , and started to decrease in November. The percentages of ash, protein, carbohydrate, and crude fiber significantly (P > 0.05 ) decreased , while the pectin contents were significantly (P > 0.05) increased . The highest percentages of pectin was noticed in August, then decreased toward the end of the growth period, also a slight decrease in total acidity, whereas pH values increased during the growth period. The contents of chlorophyll a and b significantly (P> 0.05) decreased at the end of the growth period. The physical properties of the olive fruits were also changed during the growth period. Length of the fruits, diameter, volume, weight and flesh/ seed were significantly (P> 0.05) increased, whereas the hardness and density significantly (P> 0.05) decreased with at the end of the growth period.

Three varieties of olive (Bashike, Munzanillo, and Dugal) were used to study the changes in oil and fatty acids during growth and maturity . The oil was extracted at the end of growth period and stored at room temperature to study some of its quality properties, also to find prediction equation for predicting oil content, with relationship to pectin and hardness to detect the proper collecting time of the fruits. The results showed that the oil was appeared in fruits with small contents in two
months from the beginning of the growth period, and then significantly increased (P < 0.05) toward the end of the growth period in all olive varieties. Fatty acids content of olive oil varied among varieties. The highest percentage which noticed in the three varieties was oleic acid and the lowest was stearic acid, and appeared in traces. Storage of olive oil resulted an increase in traces. Storage of olive oil resulted an increase in acid value at the beginning of the storage period and a slight increase tow the end of the storage period for the three varieties. Refractive index and iodine value of oils for the varieties were slightly differed during the storage period. Saponification and peroxide values were increased significantly tow the end of the storage period. Anyway, the oil characteristics were acceptable and within the standard specifications.

Sheep milk was subjected to microwave for 60-180 sec., and analysed for nitrogen distribution , pH and rennet coagulation time.Also analysed for total bacterial count,Co- liform bacteria ,Staphylococcus and Salmonella. Heating with microwaves improved the bacteriological quality of milk ,but resulted in partial denaturation of whey proteins ,and Increased the ratio of casein nitrogen and non protein nitrogen,and retardation of the rennet coagulation time of milk.

This study was carried out during 2001 to investigate the effects of soaking of Pinus canariensis seeds in different concentration of GA3 (0,200and300) ppm for different periods (0,10,15and20) minutes. Results revealed the superiority of the concentration 300 ppm in all studied characters Vis; germination percentage , survival percentage , seedlings hight and dry weight of stem , leaves & roots . Also,the soaking period of 20 minutes showed superior result due to its effect on seedling hight and dry weight of stem and leaves . As well, the interaction of soaking in the concentration 300 ppm for 20 minutes was superior in its effect on the characters of dry weight of stems& leaves .

Seeds of five new bread wheat entries ,Kea, Tr380, 2Ca, Tow”s” and Kvz in addition to the two local varieties, Saberbeg and Abou-Graib-3 were sown during the season 1997/1998 . Complete diallel cross program was applied for the seven parents . In the following season the performance of all the genotypes was evaluated through the study of the characters : number of days to 50% anthesis, plant height, number of spikes / plant, spike length, number of grains / spikes, biological yield / plant, grain yield / plant, harvest index, 1000-grain weight and protein percentage. Highly significant differences between genotypes were detected for the all characters. The entry, Tow”s” was superior for spike length, number of grains/spike, biological yield and 1000-grain weight, while the entry, Kea was exceeded on the others for number of spikes /plant and the reduction of plant height . Heterosis and heterobeltiosis for the two hybrids Abou-Graib-3 × Tr380 and Kvz × Tr380 were found for the number of spikes/plant, number of grains/spike, biological yield , grain yield/plant and 1000- grain weight.

This study was conducted in field crops station /Ninavh Al - Rashidia for the season 2001-2002 in order to finding out suitable varieties of some durum wheat (Om-Raby , Waha , Bagra-jow and local variety with fertilized (60kg/h ) of compund fertilizer (27:27:0) NPK, Result indicated superiority of fertilizer treatment in plant hight, No of spikes /m2 , seed index and the yield of grain and straw. Om-Raby variety gave the same effect significant for the same characters. The superiority of Spikes/m2 resulted from the interaction of fertilizer treatment with all varieties where as highest grain yield and harvest index gaind from interaction of fertilizer treatment with Om-Raby variety .

Field experiment was conducted in winter season of 2004-2005 at field of college of Agriculture / Mosul university field to evaluate the effeciency of two herbicides ( Topik 70 g.a.i / ha , Lintor 120 g. a . i /ha ) with two wheat varity ( Waha , Om rabee ) for weed control in wheat field under dry land farming conditions . Date were subjected to the conventional analysis randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D) as a factorial experiment within split plot with three replicats . The results , showed that the narrow leaf weeds had decreased up to 98 , 91 % for Topik and Topik + Lintor treatment , respectively . Also broadleaf weed had decreased up to 74.5 , 54% for Lintor + Topik ,and Lintor treatment respectively There is no significant effect of varity or herbicides on number of tillers , number of seeds per spik and 1000 seeds wieght , but significant effects on plant seed yield had been showed where Om rabee had higher seed than Waha . Also waha had been effected with weeds more than Om rabee . There is no significant effect between herbicides used on plant seed yield .

A field experiment was conducted during the growing season 1999-2000 two different location in north Iraq viz ; Sallameah ( 40 km south of Mosul ) , and Rabiah ( 92 km north-west Mosul ) to study the effect of two level of potassium fertilizer, and kgK2O/ha , on growth and yield of sixteen genotype of lentil .The experiment was carried out using split-plot in R.C.B.D. with three replacements . Fertilization with 40 km K2O/ha increased significantly pod number/plant ,seed and biological yield at Salllameah location , number of primary and secondary branches/plant and seed yield at Rabiah location .Genotype differed significantly for all studies characters at both location except for the number of secondary branches/plant at Sallameah location . The genotype F96-25L was the earliest in maturity at both location , while the local variation were the latest in maturity . Genotype 78S 26002 was superior to local variation and most other genotypes in pods/plant and seed yield at Rabeah location while genotype F96-25L was superior to local variation and most other introduce genotype in pods/plant , yield and biological yield at Sallameah location .

Platanus branch wilt was studied in Ninavha forest where the fungus Hendersonula toruloidea Nattrass was regarded as potential pathogen. According to young shoot cutting bioassay technique of H.toruloidea culture filtrate. It was clear that culture filtrate caused shoot
cutting wilt after few days of treatment Four fungicides( Atmy Benlate Daconil &Mancozeb) were used to control the disease . All the fungicides caused significant inhibition to mycelium growth at 100mg/L ,and reduce significantly to canker development where the canker was 5.6 cm after using ِAtmy and 7.4,6.8cm Daconil and Mancozeb treatment respectively ,while Benlate treatment showed the lowest effect with 9.3cm. Increasing irrigation intervals showed significant effect on artificial infection percentage and the best irrigation intervals was 12 hours. The infection percentage was positively correlated with reducing of Irrigation intervals and that had an effect on the studied phenomenon

The study was conducted in Swaratuka region in Dohuk governorate during October 2002 on the occurrence of oak seed weevil Curculio longipennis Rett on oak trees of Quercus aegilops L. to evaluate the effect of interaction between the direction of forest and the direction of trees with its highest on the percentage of infestation, and the number of larvae in the seed. Statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences at probability 0.05 between the direction, highest for the forest and trees on the characteristic under study. West direction of forest and tree were represented high percentage of infestation and the same direction of the forest and east of the tree were represented high average number of larvae 2.23 at the highest more than 3 m for trees, but the north direction of the forest and north of tree at the highest under 3 m were represented a lower percentage as 28.16% and 0.53 larvae for characteristic under study respectively. Finally the percentage of germination of non-infesting oak seeds or which infested with one larvae, tow larvae, three larvae or four larvae and more, under natural condition of Mosul region (average temp. 12cْ and 58% relative humidity) were 72.6, 66.66, 48.22, 21.22, 8.53 % ,respectively.