Six divergent genotypes of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) were crossed using a half diallel excluding reciprocal crosses, to estimate heterosis, combining ability and nature of gene action for studied traits under two irrigation regimes. The two irrigation regimes were normal irrigation conditions with amount of applied water 5952.38 m3/ha and water stress conditions with amount of applied water 2976.19 m3/ha at Etay-El-Baroud Agricultural Research Station, Behaira governorate, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt during 2019 summer season. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used for each irrigation regimes. The variation of genotypes and their components from parents, crosses and parents versus crosses were highly significant for all studied traits under both irrigation regimes and their interactions with irrigation. Variation attributable to general and specific combining ability was highly significant for seed yield and yield components under both irrigation regimes. The parents L92 and L110 were the best combiners for seed weight per plant and most of its components under both irrigation regimes. The best F1 cross combination was L92 × L110 in specific combining ability and heterotic effects over mid- and better-parents under both irrigation regimes for seed weight per plant and most of its attributes. The preponderance of additive gene action in the inheritance of most studied traits was observed, that further confirmed by its significance and the value of average degree of dominance exceeding the unity. Narrow-sense heritability varied from 0.19 for number of branches per plant to 0.47 for 1000 seed weight under normal irrigation, whereas, under water stress conditions, it ranged from 0.14 for number of branches per plant to 0.42 for fruiting zone length. Parents L95 and L93 under normal irrigation and L93 and L110 under water stress conditions carried mostly genes with dominant effects for seed weight per plant, in contrary, L92 and L110 under normal irrigation and L92 and L12 under water stress conditions carried mostly recessive alleles for seed weight per plant. Hence, the results will be used to develop a sesame breeding scheme at Etay-El-Baroud Agricultural Research Station.
Nine genetically diverse sunflower promising lines in their economic trait were crossed using line by tester mating design in 2018 spring season, to estimate per se performance, combining ability, heterosis, gene action and heritability for earliness, yield and its attributes traits. The parents involved four sunflower CMS lines namely L1 (A3), L2 (A5), L3 (A9) and L4 (A13) (called hereafter “Lines” (as female parents) and five sunflower genotypes T1 (RF9), T2 (RF10), T3 (RF11), T4 (RF14) and T5 (RF1) as male parents (called hereafter “Tester”). In 2018 and 2019 summer season, the nine parents along with their 20 F1s seeds were evaluated at Shandaweel Agricultural Research Station, ARC, Sohag Governorate, Egypt using a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Mean squares due to parents (P), crosses (C), CMS lines (L), RF testers (T), P vs C and L x T were significant for all studied traits. A larger magnitude of non-additive gene action than additive was revealed by greater ratios (GCA/ SCA) than unity for all studied traits (except for days to 50% flowering). A5 and A13 of CMS lines and RF11 and RF14 of RF lines proved to be the best general combiners for seed weight plant-1 and one or more of its attributes traits. Moreover, the best cross combinations A13 x RF11, A13 x RF1 and A5 x RF9 performed better than other developed hybrids in view of seed weight plant-1 and one or more of its attributes, hence these F1 hybrids could further be used on commercial exploitation.
<b>Background and Objective:</b> Biological fertilization in the development of agriculture became one new strategy in the increased production of field crops to decrease the costs of production input and environmental pollution. This study focused on the influence of biochar fertilization on the productivity of faba bean varieties under sandy soils. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Appreciation of the yield and its components, in addition to measurement of grain protein content as well as carbohydrates (%) of faba bean. <b>Results:</b> The data obtained indicated that the biochar amendment affects plant production at different rates, where the best yield obtained is 90 kg fed<sup>1</sup>. The grain yield increase is significant for the variety's types where, Mariout-2, followed by Nubaria-3 followed by Giza-716 for the addition of 90 kg fed<sup>1</sup> of biochar as referenced by the non-conditioning treatment. Likewise, the protein content was highest in the Mariout-2 variety, followed by Nubaria-3 variety and Giza-716 variety for the addition. This improvement may be regarded to the impact of biochar on the physic-chemical characteristics for the soils, in addition to the biological characteristics. Furthermore, the biochar itself add nutrient to the soil after decomposition. The best improvement happens by the long-term cropping for a long period could be reached up to years. <b>Conclusion:</b> The conclusion that plant growth was better at a high rate (90 kg fed<sup>1</sup>) but the economy of this rate may be questioned, under the condition of the study. However, the validation for different soils may vary with different rates, which needs more research. Also, it is recommended to use Mariout-2 cultivars for their high production under these conditions.
Sugar cane is a labor intensive crop, where the most of the cane operations are carried out manually and the use of machinery is limited only for land preparation.The present study aims to manufacture a new prototype machine for transplanting sugar cane crop.Electronic circuit and servo motor control the movement and orientation of carriage belt of transplanting, whenever the infrared rays control the movement of seedling and determine their positions of transplanting tray.Timeliness of opening and closing has been adjusted by precisely by electronic air valves.The experimental work was carried out at Etay Elbaroud Agricultural Research Station, Behera Governorate.Performance of the machine was evaluated under four forward speeds (0.6, 0.9, 1.2and 1.5 km/h) and three seedling spaces (27, 37and 47 cm).The results indicated evaluated that the highest value of longitudinal scattering and transverse scattering were 4.1 and 3.7 cm at forward speed of 1.5 km/h.While the highest value of energy consumption and transplanting efficiency were 26.49kW.h/fed and 94.1% at forward speed of 0.6 km/h.On the other hand, missing, floating and dead seedlings increased as forward speed and seedlings spacing increased.The highest values of missing, floating and dead seedlings were 3.8, 3.5 and 3.7% at forward speed of 1.5 km/h and at seedling space 47 cm.
Aims: For proposing a statistical approach to select of the most promising genotypes for peanut breeding program.
Place and Duration of Study: Twenty peanut genotypes were evaluated at Matana Agricultural Station Research, Luxor governorate, Egypt during 2018 and 2019.
Study Design: In a randomized complete block design with three replications.
Methodology: Analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation coefficients, factor analysis, cluster method and some genetic parameters for seed yield and its components were calculated.
Results: Results revealed that significant differences among the tested genotypes for the eight studied traits. Correlation coefficients indicated that seed yield was significantly correlated with all traits except plant height. Meanwhile, factor analysis was used to remove multi-collinearity problems, to simplify the complex relationships and to reduce variables number (into three extracted factors). 100-seed weight, number of branches/plant, 100-pod weight and seed oil content (%) with seed yield/plant traits which present in the 1st factor explained 42.039% of the total variance and recorded high heritability coupled with high genetic advance %. ANOVA results for factor scores obtained (native best multi-traits data) revealed that genotypes varied significantly.
Conclusion: Factor and cluster analysis agreed in grouping Ismailia 2, Intr. 267, Intr. 182, Intr. 332 and Sohag 107 to be promising genotypes to increase peanut seed yield, whereas genotypes Intr. 504 and intr. 510 could be utilized to increase peanut seed oil content %. Then, the utilization of a factor score as a variable in ANOVA analysis was more appropriate rather than the original data. Consequently, factor scores (as a native data) would be more agreeable to selection and can be employed in plant breeding programs.