- National Research Centre
Botany Department
Al-Behoos street,
Dokki 12622,
Cairo, Egypt
E-mail: magdi.abdelhamid@yahoo.com - +201004145751
Magdi T Abdelhamid
National Research Centre, Botany Department, Department Member
- Biology, Agriculture, Botany, Sustainable agriculture, Plant Biology, Agronomy, and 13 moreHorticulture, Organic agriculture, Agroecology, Irrigation, Wheat Root Development and Drought Resistance, Abiotic stress (Crop Physiology), Plants, Plant Physiology, Plant Stress Physiology, Crop Modeling, Drought Stress, Faba Bean, and Morphological evolutionedit
- Dr. Magdi T. Abdelhamid is a Research Professor at the National Research centre (NRC), Cairo, Egypt. He has been awar... moreDr. Magdi T. Abdelhamid is a Research Professor at the National Research centre (NRC), Cairo, Egypt. He has been awarded his M.Sc. in Agronomy from Cairo University and Ph.D. in Agronomy from Gifu University, Japan. In addition, he pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at University of Western Australia, Australia. Dr. Abdelhamid is an expert on Plant physiology under environmental stresses. His main concern is increasing crop production, especially in arid areas. He is capable to analyse mechanism of drought, heat, salinity and nutrients deficiency tolerance and improvement of crop production. Dr. Abdelhamid has been selected as an expert at the United Nations Environment programme (UNEP) as leading author of Water chapter and contributing author of the Land Chapter of Global Environment Outlook (GEO) GEO-5 for assessment of the state and trends of the global environment. Additionally, he has been working as Consultant for FAO-Egypt Representation, Food and Agriculture Organization, Cairo, Egypt. Dr. Abdelhamid has long experience in research and coordinating research projects at the national and international levels on agronomy, on-farm water management and salinity tolerance on crops. Additionally, he has authored large number of articles in international reputed journals and has been invited to many national and international conferences.edit
Due to many challenges (i.e. climate change, energy, water and land shortage, high demands on food, land grabbing, etc.), agriculture production potential is expected to be seriously affected; thus, increasing food insecurity and hunger... more
Due to many challenges (i.e. climate change, energy, water and land shortage, high demands on food, land grabbing, etc.), agriculture production potential is expected to be seriously affected; thus, increasing food insecurity and hunger in many already affected regions (especially in Africa). In this context, sustainable agriculture is highly recommended as an eco-system approach where soil, water, plants, environment and living organisms live in harmony. Innovative technologies and research should be developed to ensure sustainable agriculture and productivity using modern irrigation systems, improved varieties, improved soil quality, etc. In the meantime, the preservation of natural environment should be based on resource conservation technologies and best management practices.
Sustainable Agricultural Development, not only raises the serious ethical and social issues underlying these huge environmental problems, but also aims at presenting successful experiences from all over the world in relation with sustainable farming, sustainable management of water and land resources, and innovative processes in livestock production. It also aims at providing inputs to decision making processes and encouraging the transfer of relevant know-how, technologies and expertise to different countries where similar agro-climatic conditions may exist; thus saving precious resources and promoting sustainable agricultural development as a relevant approach to tackle the food security challenge.
Finally, this book focuses on the paradigmatic and policy dimensions and call for an innovative approach by analyzing the key themes in a complex and interrelated manner.
Sustainable Agricultural Development, not only raises the serious ethical and social issues underlying these huge environmental problems, but also aims at presenting successful experiences from all over the world in relation with sustainable farming, sustainable management of water and land resources, and innovative processes in livestock production. It also aims at providing inputs to decision making processes and encouraging the transfer of relevant know-how, technologies and expertise to different countries where similar agro-climatic conditions may exist; thus saving precious resources and promoting sustainable agricultural development as a relevant approach to tackle the food security challenge.
Finally, this book focuses on the paradigmatic and policy dimensions and call for an innovative approach by analyzing the key themes in a complex and interrelated manner.
Amaryllidaceae family comprises many crops of high market potential for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Nowadays, the utilization of plants as a source of bioactive compounds requires the plant/endophytic microbiome interactions,... more
Amaryllidaceae family comprises many crops of high market potential for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Nowadays, the utilization of plants as a source of bioactive compounds requires the plant/endophytic microbiome interactions, which affect all aspects of crop’s quantity and quality. This review highlights the taxonomy, ecology, and bioactive chemicals synthesized by endophytic fungi isolated from plants of the Amaryllidaceae family with a focus on the detection of pharmaceutically valuable plant and fungi constituents. The fungal microbiome of Amaryllidaceae is species- and tissue-dependent, although dominating endophytes are ubiquitous and isolated worldwide from taxonomically different hosts. Root sections showed higher colonization as compared to bulbs and leaves through the adaptation of endophytic fungi to particular morphological and physiological conditions of the plant tissues. Fungal endophytes associated with Amaryllidaceae plants are a natural source of ecofrie...
Research Interests: Biology and Agriculture
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Soybean (Glycine max L.), is the most important pulse crop in the world. Soybean is a very energy-rich grain legume containing 40 percent protein and 19 percent oil in the seeds. The magnitude of soybean yield losses due to nutrient... more
Soybean (Glycine max L.), is the most important pulse crop in the world. Soybean is a very energy-rich grain legume containing 40 percent protein and 19 percent oil in the seeds. The magnitude of soybean yield losses due to nutrient deficiency also varies among the nutrients. Deficiencies of N, P, Fe, B and S nutrients may cause yield losses up to 10 %, 29-45 %, 22-90 %, 100 % and 16-30 %, respectively, in soybean depending on soil fertility, climate and plant factors. Soil salinity is one of the major limiting factors of soybean production in semiarid regions, and chloride salinity has a more depressive effect on yield than sulphate salinity. The goal of nutrient management is to maximize soybean productivity while minimizing environmental consequences. Balanced and timely nutrient management practices applied for soybean contributes to sustainable growth of yield and quality, influences plant health and reduces environmental risks. Balanced nutrition with mineral fertilizers can a...
Globally, salinity threatens the agricultural crops productivity by inhibiting plant growth and development through osmotic stress and ionic cytotoxicity. The polygenic nature of salinity offers several pragmatic shotgun approaches to... more
Globally, salinity threatens the agricultural crops productivity by inhibiting plant growth and development through osmotic stress and ionic cytotoxicity. The polygenic nature of salinity offers several pragmatic shotgun approaches to improve salinity tolerance. The present study investigated the potential of glutathione (GSH; 1 mM) as an antioxidant and moringa leaf extract (MLE; 3%) as an organic biostimulant applied in sequence as seed priming and foliar spray on wheat growth, physiology and metabolic adaptation under saline conditions (9.16 dS m-1). Plants without any treatment and water spray (H2O) were considered controls. Salinity induced osmotic stress reduced the plant tissue water status and photosynthetic performance, and perturbed ionic (K+/Na+, Ca2+/Na+, K++Ca2+/Na+) and hormonal (IAA, GA3, zeatin, ABA) homeostasis, consequently affected growth and yield in wheat. Sequenced applied MLE and/or GSH improved osmotic stress tolerance by stabilizing membrane integrity and decreasing electrolyte leakage. These positive results were owed to enhanced endogenous GSH and ascorbate levels. Improved tissue water status was attributed to increased osmotic adjustment, better ionic and hormonal homeostasis contributed to improving photosynthetic efficiency and growth under salinity. Exogenously applied MLE and GSH sequences improved grain yield, which was attributed to the maintenance of green leaf area and delayed senescence associated with an increase in photosynthetic pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence traits. In crux, exogenous applied MLE and/or GSH can be the best physiological strategy to reduce the deleterious effects of salinity and improve physiological and metabolic adaptation in wheat under saline field conditions.
Research Interests:
In sustainable farming, the use of organic fertilizers is a costly but environmentally-oriented type of soil–crop system management. Among essential microelements, cobalt (Co) deficiency commonly occurs in arid and semi-arid climatic... more
In sustainable farming, the use of organic fertilizers is a costly but environmentally-oriented type of soil–crop system management. Among essential microelements, cobalt (Co) deficiency commonly occurs in arid and semi-arid climatic regions suitable for the growing of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam), an economically important, multipurpose tree. Therefore, in this study, two pot experiments were conducted to identify the interaction effects of Co and organic fertilizers in modifying the growth, yield, and nutritional composition of moringa. Each experiment consisted of 21 treatments as combinations of seven concentrations of Co (0.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5, and 15.0 mg L−1) and three organic fertilizers (chicken manure, CM; farmyard manure, FYM; and compost, Comp). Co, at 7.5–12.5 mg L−1, in combination with CM, significantly increased the height, leaf number, leaf area, and dry weight of plants, as well as N, P, K, Zn, Cu, protein, total carbohydrate, total soluble solids, total...
Research Interests:
Two field experiments were carried out at the Research and Production Station of the National Research Centre, Noubaria, Egypt, during the winter season of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. This study aimed to investigate the response of... more
Two field experiments were carried out at the Research and Production Station of the National Research Centre, Noubaria, Egypt, during the winter season of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. This study aimed to investigate the response of vegetative growth, yield and some metabolic constituents of field bean (Vicia faba L. var minor) cv. Giza402 to foliar application of bio-regulator Thiourea (TU; 250, 500 or 1000 mg L), and amino acid Aspartic acid (AspA; 50, 100 or 150 mg L) either alone or in combination. Foliar application of TU and Asp A either alone or in combination significantly increased the values of number of branches, leaves and pods/plant, total dry weight/plant, leaf area index, specific leaf weight and crop growth rate criteria. Total photosynthetic pigments content in leaves were increased by increasing TU (up to 1000 mg L) and Asp A (upto150 mg L) singly or in combination. Straw, seed and biological yields of faba bean plants were significantly increased by increasing TU and Asp A concentrations up to 1000 and 150 mgL, respectively. Application of 1000 mgL TU, singly and combined with Asp Conference Proceeding Full Paper Amin et al.; IJPSS, Article no. IJPSS.2014.6.015 725 A at 150 mg L caused significant increments in harvest index (2.9 and 25.5%) and seed yield ha (46.4 and 101.9%), respectively, compared to their control plants. TU and Asp A, when applied alone, significantly improved the nutritional value and quality of faba bean seeds by increasing total carbohydrates, total crude protein, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium contents. In conclusion, foliar application of TU at 1000 mg L and Asp A at 150 mg L, singly or combined could be recommended to improve the yield, nutritional value and quality of faba bean seeds.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Biology and Vicia faba
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Sodium chloride (NaCl) is the most abundant salt that contributes to soil salinity. The response of plants to excess NaCl is complex, involving changes in their morphology, physiology, and metabolism. Potassium (K) is not only an... more
ABSTRACT Sodium chloride (NaCl) is the most abundant salt that contributes to soil salinity. The response of plants to excess NaCl is complex, involving changes in their morphology, physiology, and metabolism. Potassium (K) is not only an essential macronutrient for plant growth and productivity, but it is also a primary osmoticum for maintaining the low water potential of plant tissues. A pot experiment was conducted in the wire-house of the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt, during the 2010 – 2011 season, to examine the potential role of K fertiliser in alleviating the deleterious effects of NaCl-salinity on some physiological and biochemical traits of two recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; RIL 147 and RIL 115).The results showed that salinity levels of 25 mM (S1) and 50 mM NaCl (S2) caused significant decreases in the numbers of pods per plant, the fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW) of pods per plant, shoot DW per plant, as well as in the level of photosynthetic pigments, compared to plants irrigated with tap water (S0). A dose of 150 mg K2O kg–1 soil (K2) mitigated these harmful effects of salinity on common bean yield and on the content of photosynthetic pigments. Both salinity levels (S1 and S2) and treatment K2 caused significant increases in proline, free amino acid, and soluble carbohydrate concentrations, as well as peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities, relative to the corresponding control plants. In contrast, both RILs show a decrease in their phenolic compound concentrations due to salinity and/or the application of K2 compared to control plants (i.e., treatment S0K1; where K1 = 25 mg K2O kg–1 soil).The K+:Na+ ion ratio decreased significantly as the salinity level increased, and increased significantly under treatment K2. We conclude that treatment K2 mitigated the adverse effects of salinity (NaCl) through the effect of K+ ions enhancing the levels of photosynthetic pigments, anti-oxidant enzyme activities, osmoprotectant concentrations, and the K+:Na ion ratio, all of which were reflected in an improvement in plant performance.
Research Interests:
CropSyst model can be used as irrigation water management tool to increase wheat productivity with poor quality water. The objective of this study was to calibrate CropSyst model for wheat irrigated with fresh and agricultural drainage... more
CropSyst model can be used as irrigation water management tool to increase wheat productivity with poor quality water. The objective of this study was to calibrate CropSyst model for wheat irrigated with fresh and agricultural drainage water. To do so, three field experiments were conducted during three successive seasons in Nubaria Agricultural Research Station, Egypt representing the newly reclaimed calcareous soils. In the first season the treatments were 100% crop evapotranspiration (
Research Interests:
CropSyst (Cropping Systems Simulation) is used as an analytic tool for studying irrigation water management to increase wheat productivity. Therefore, two field experiments were conducted to 1) calibrate CropSyst model for wheat grown... more
CropSyst (Cropping Systems Simulation) is used as an analytic tool for studying irrigation water management to increase wheat productivity. Therefore, two field experiments were conducted to 1) calibrate CropSyst model for wheat grown under sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, 2) to use the simulation results to analyse the relationship between applied irrigation amount and the resulted yield and 3) to simulate the effect of saving irrigation water on wheat yield. Drip irrigation system in three treatments (100%, 75% and 50% of crop evapotranspiration – ETc) and under sprinkler irrigation system in five treatments (100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20% of ETc) were imposed on these experiments. Results using CropSyst calibration revealed-that results of using CropSyst calibration revealed that the model was able to predict wheat grain and biological yield, with high degree of accuracy. Using 100% ETc under drip system resulted in very low water stress index (WSI = 0.008), whereas using 100...
ABSTRACT
Two field experiments were conducted at the experimental farm of the National Research Centre at Shalakan, Kalubia Governorate, Egypt, during 2006 and 2007 seasons, to study the effect of three pre-emergence herbicides, prometryn [at the... more
Two field experiments were conducted at the experimental farm of the National Research Centre at Shalakan, Kalubia Governorate, Egypt, during 2006 and 2007 seasons, to study the effect of three pre-emergence herbicides, prometryn [at the rate of 0.75, 1.5 and 2.25 kg ha-1], oxadiargyl [at the rate of 240, 480 and 720 g ha-1] and butralin [at the rate of 1.20, 2.40 and 3.36 kg ha-1], two hand hoeing treatments and a nonweeded check, on weed infestation, nodulation, growth, yield and yield attributes of soybean plants. Two hand hoeing treatments resulted in the highest weed depression expressed as the lowest fresh and dry weights of broadleaved, grassy and total weeds. The reduction percentage in weed dry matter compared to the nonweeded treatment was 98.3, 92.64 and 96.9% in broadleaved, grassy and total weeds, respectively. Application of the three herbicides at higher or recommended doses significantly reduced fresh and dry weight of the weeds compared to the nonweeded treatment. T...
Research Interests:
Two field experiments were conducted in two successive seasons, 2005/2006 and 2006/2007, to determine whether management can improve faba bean competitiveness with weeds, thus helping to achieve its yield potential. The experiment... more
Two field experiments were conducted in two successive seasons, 2005/2006 and 2006/2007, to determine whether management can improve faba bean competitiveness with weeds, thus helping to achieve its yield potential. The experiment included five treatments, composed of organic and mineral fertilizers, alone and mixed at different rates, along with a control and six weed control treatments, including oxadiargyl, prometryn, hand hoeing treatments alone or mixed with the herbicides, and a nonweeded treatment (control).The herbicide treatments were not superior to the two hand-hoeing treatments. Using compost favored growth and yield of faba bean more than of weeds. Adding fertilizer also improved most yield parameters. Application of compost alone or combined with 50 or 100% of the recommended NPK rate improved faba bean growth in terms of net assimilation rate, specific leaf area, and leaf weight ratio as components of relative growth rate. This improvement in growth resulted in increa...
Research Interests:
A possible survival strategy for plants under saline conditions is to use some compounds that could alleviate the salt stress effect. One of these compounds is nicotinamide (vitamin B3/niacin). The effect of exogenous application of... more
A possible survival strategy for plants under saline conditions is to use some compounds that could alleviate the salt stress effect. One of these compounds is nicotinamide (vitamin B3/niacin). The effect of exogenous application of nicotinamide with different concentrations (0, 200 or 400 mg l-1) on faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plant grown at different NaCl levels (0, 50 or 100 mM) was investigated in the wire house of the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt. Salinity stress significantly reduced the photosynthetic pigments, polysaccharides, total carbohydrates, total-N contents of shoot, plant height, leaves number, fresh and dry weights of shoot, seed yield, total carbohydrates and total crude protein of the yielded seeds compared with those of the control plants. In contrast, salinity induced marked increases in sucrose, total soluble sugars, total free amino acids, proline, lipid peroxidation product (MDA) and some oxidative enzymes (polyphenol-oxidase and peroxidase). Also, sa...
Research Interests:
The phytotoxicity of aqueous foliar extracts and ground dried residues of six common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs 147, 83, 104, 115, 34 and 75), recently introduced from France for possible cultivation and... more
The phytotoxicity of aqueous foliar extracts and ground dried residues of six common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs 147, 83, 104, 115, 34 and 75), recently introduced from France for possible cultivation and improvement under Egyptian conditions, against certain weed and crop species was investigated as a possible source for natural herbicides. Aqueous extracts at 10% were prepared and evaluated on seedling root and shoot growth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), slender amaranth (Amaranthus viridis), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) as bioassay. Root and shoot growth were significantly inhibited by the different extracts, with a superior activity against root growth rather than on shoot growth. No great differences were observed between the extracts obtained at flowering stage and those obtained at harvesting stage in affecting assayed species, and crop seedlings were generally more sensitive than weed seedlings. The suppressions...
Research Interests: Biology and Allelopathy
Two field experiments were carried out to study the effect of phosphorus levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 Kg Fad -1) and molybdenum rates (0, 3 and 6 ppm) on two varieties common bean. Experiments were conducted at Research and production... more
Two field experiments were carried out to study the effect of phosphorus levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 Kg Fad -1) and molybdenum rates (0, 3 and 6 ppm) on two varieties common bean. Experiments were conducted at Research and production station, National Research Centre, El-Nobaria Beheara Governorate, Delta Egypt under drip irrigation system during 2011 and 2012 seasons. The obtained results indicate that:- All growth and yield parameters were significantly influenced by the combined effect of phosphorus and Molybdenum. The maximum plant height (28 cm), no. of leaves per plant (25), no. of nodules per plant (8), fresh weight (111.5 g) and dry weight (11.98 g) was recorded in 150 Kg fed -1 with 6 ppm Mo in common bean varieties non sensitive to P deficiency (Ril 115) and the maximum plant height (29 cm), no. of leaves per plant (25), no. of nodules per plant (9), fresh weight (109.2 g) and dry weight (11.79 g) was recorded in 150 Kg fed -1 with 6 ppm Mo was applied in common bean var...
Research Interests:
Two field experiments were carried out in two successive seasons to examine the effect of weed management on wheat crop under saline condition and how herbicides can interact with foliar application with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) to... more
Two field experiments were carried out in two successive seasons to examine the effect of weed management on wheat crop under saline condition and how herbicides can interact with foliar application with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) to improve weed suppression and enhance crop growth and productivity under salinity stress. Clodinafop-propargyl was the best option to attain acceptable grassy weeds control. Increasing IAA from 0 up to 150 ppm significantly increased number and dry weight of grassy weeds in wheat after 80 days from sowing. Application of IAA at 150 ppm recorded the highest number and dry weight of weeds. Clodinafop-propargyl produced the lowest values of number and dry weight of weeds as well as nutrients uptake by weeds when water spraying was added. While application of IAA at 150 ppm gave the maximum values of flag leaf area, SPAD meter values, number of spike/m
Research Interests: Agronomy and Agriculture
Research Interests:
Changes in the activities of oxidative enzymes (indole acetic acid oxidase, peroxidase and catalase), endogenous hormones (gibberellic acid (GA3), indole acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinins (AsZeatin), photosynthetic... more
Changes in the activities of oxidative enzymes (indole acetic acid oxidase, peroxidase and catalase), endogenous hormones (gibberellic acid (GA3), indole acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinins (AsZeatin), photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids), total carbohydrates, total soluble sugars, amino acid proline and vegetative growth parameters were used as indicators to explain the physiological role of the growth retardant prohexadione-calcium on Vicia faba seedlings 40 days after sowing under salinity stress for 30 days. The obtained results show that soaking faba bean seeds prior to sowing at different concentrations of prohexadione-calcium (0, 10, 20 and 30 ppm) significantly increased the activities of indole acetic acid oxidase (IAA-oxidase) and peroxidase enzymes, but decreased the catalase enzyme activity as compared with their respective control. Application of prohexadione-Ca caused markedly decreases in the endogenous contents of g...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Abstract Salinization of land has threatened civilization from ancient to modern times. To mitigate salinization, efforts have been made in the aspects of manage-ment and reclamation including using salt tolerant crops. Soybean is one of... more
Abstract Salinization of land has threatened civilization from ancient to modern times. To mitigate salinization, efforts have been made in the aspects of manage-ment and reclamation including using salt tolerant crops. Soybean is one of the major food and oil crops in most of the ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Biology and Vicia faba
Many agricultural regions in arid and semiarid climate zone need to deal with increased soil salinity. Legumes are classified as salt-sensitive crops. A field experiment was performed to examine the application of phosphorus (P)... more
Many agricultural regions in arid and semiarid climate zone need to deal with increased soil salinity. Legumes are classified as salt-sensitive crops. A field experiment was performed to examine the application of phosphorus (P) fertilizer source and rate on growth, chlorophylls and carotenoid content, DNA and RNA content and ion accumulation in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivated under salinity stress. An experimental design was split-plot with three replicates. The main plots included two P sources, namely single superphosphate (SP) and urea phosphate (UP). The sub-plots covered four P rates, i.e., 0.0, 17.5, 35.0, and 52.5 kg P ha–1. All applied P fertilization rates, in both forms, increased plant height, leaf area, dry weight of shoots and roots per plant, and total dry weight (TDW) in t ha−1. The highest accumulation of N, P, K+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ was determined in the shoot and root of common bean, while 35 kg of P per ha−1 was used compared to the other l...
Water deficit is the primary limiting factor for successful yield of soybean (Glycine max L.) around the world, depending on its severity and duration, and has variable effects on several metabolic processes. Therefore, a pot experiment... more
Water deficit is the primary limiting factor for successful yield of soybean (Glycine max L.) around the world, depending on its severity and duration, and has variable effects on several metabolic processes. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted in a wire house at the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt, to examine the interactive effects of two levels of potassium fertilizer and water deficit on the distribution of 14C into biochemical components (ethanol soluble compounds, oil and protein) of three Japanese soybean genotypes, nonnodulating (NN) (En 1282), nodulating (N) (Eneri) and super-nodulating (SN) (En-b0-1). The potassium (K) fertilizer levels were 25 and 150 mg K2O kg soil-1. Sixty-five days after sowing (pod filling stage), soil moisture (SM) for plants was maintained at 80% FWC for control (WW) and no water was added considered as water deficit (WD). Plant leaves were collected at 0 (at the end of exposure time), 24, 48, and 72h for measuring photosynthetic activi...
Research Interests:
In many areas of the world, water shortages prevail and threaten food production. Deficit irrigation was commonly investigated in dry areas as a precious and sustainable production approach. Using the CropSyst model to simulate the... more
In many areas of the world, water shortages prevail and threaten food production. Deficit irrigation was commonly investigated in dry areas as a precious and sustainable production approach. Using the CropSyst model to simulate the effects of different deficit irrigation treatments could help draw conclusions and save time, effort, and money. Therefore, the aims of this research were (i) to calibrate and validate the CropSyst model for wheat under different sustained and phenological stage-based deficit irrigation treatments, (ii) to simulate the impacts of the latter treatments on limiting wheat yield reduction. Two field experiments were conducted in Nubaria (Egypt), representing an arid environment. They included seven irrigation treatments: (1) 100%, (2) 75%, or (3) 50% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) during the whole crop cycle; (4) 50% ETc at tillering only, or (5) at booting only, or (6) at grain filling only, or (7) at both tillering and grain filling, with the replenishmen...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Soybean plants grown under NaCl were foliar sprayed twice with melatonin (MLT). Results revealed that salt stress reduced growth, biomass accumulation, photosynthesis, mineral uptake, the content of δ-aminolevulinic acid, chlorophylls,... more
Soybean plants grown under NaCl were foliar sprayed twice with melatonin (MLT). Results revealed that salt stress reduced growth, biomass accumulation, photosynthesis, mineral uptake, the content of δ-aminolevulinic acid, chlorophylls, carotenoids and PSII efficiency. However, MLT application enhanced pigment synthesis and PSII activity. MLT up-regulated the antioxidant system and glyoxalase function resulting in reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Reduced ROS in MLT-treated plants protected membrane functioning by reducing lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage and lipoxygenase activity. Nevertheless, MLT application reduced methylglyoxal accumulation while increased the content of reduced glutathione and ascorbic acid. It could be concluded that exogenous MLT mitigated the salt stress damage in soybean plants by improving photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, controlling ion homeostasis and minimising excessive ROS accumulation.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Endophytes are isolated from every plant species investigated to date, so the metabolome coevolution has been affecting the plants’ (microbiota) ethnobotanic, especially therapeutic, usage. Asteraceae fulfill the rationale for plant... more
Endophytes are isolated from every plant species investigated to date, so the metabolome coevolution has been affecting the plants’ (microbiota) ethnobotanic, especially therapeutic, usage. Asteraceae fulfill the rationale for plant selection to isolate endophytes since most of the species of this family have a long tradition of healing usage, confirmed by modern pharmacognosy. The present review compiles recent references on the endophyte−Asteraceae spp. interactions, targeting the secondary metabolites profile as created by both members of this biological system. Endophyte fungi associated with Asteraceae have been collected globally, however, dominant taxa that produce bioactive compounds were specific for the plant populations of different geographic origins. Endophytic fungi richness within the host plant and the biological activity were positively associated. Moreover, the pharmacological action was linked to the plant part, so differential forms of biological interactions in ...
Research Interests:
Melatonin (MT) is a pleiotropic molecule with diverse and numerous actions both in plants and animals. In plants, MT acts as an excellent promotor of tolerance against abiotic stress situations such as drought, cold, heat, salinity, and... more
Melatonin (MT) is a pleiotropic molecule with diverse and numerous actions both in plants and animals. In plants, MT acts as an excellent promotor of tolerance against abiotic stress situations such as drought, cold, heat, salinity, and chemical pollutants. In all these situations, MT has a stimulating effect on plants, fomenting many changes in biochemical processes and stress-related gene expression. Melatonin plays vital roles as an antioxidant and can work as a free radical scavenger to protect plants from oxidative stress by stabilization cell redox status; however, MT can alleviate the toxic oxygen and nitrogen species. Beyond this, MT stimulates the antioxidant enzymes and augments antioxidants, as well as activates the ascorbate–glutathione (AsA–GSH) cycle to scavenge excess reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this review, we examine the recent data on the capacity of MT to alleviate the effects of common abiotic soil stressors, such as salinity, alkalinity, acidity, and the p...
Research Interests:
Four silica-based acaricides were examined in laboratory tests for their effectiveness against poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae. All acaricides resulted in 100% mite mortality. Two groups of active ingredients could be... more
Four silica-based acaricides were examined in laboratory tests for their effectiveness against poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae. All acaricides resulted in 100% mite mortality. Two groups of active ingredients could be differentiated. The products Silicosec® and Ewazid®, based on naturally occurring diatomaceous earth (DE), killed 100% of adult D. gallinae within 48 h exposure time. The time to kill 50% of the mites (LT50) was calculated to be 31.7 and 34.9 h, respectively. The other two products, containing aggregates and agglomerates of pyrogenic synthetic amorphous silicon dioxide as active ingredients, killed the mites in a significantly shorter time: LT50 was 6.3 h for the liquid product Fossil Shield® Instant White and 11.8 h for the powdery product Fossil Shield 90.0 White. This is more remarkable as the quantities of active ingredients used for the DE treatments were several folds higher. The effectiveness of all tested products was also shown in practical tests. A pro...
Research Interests:
Egyptian henbane (Hyoscyamus muticus L.) plants are rich sources of alkaloids used in pharmaceutical products. Recently, rising efforts have been devoted to reducing mineral fertilizer supply, production cost, and environmental pollution... more
Egyptian henbane (Hyoscyamus muticus L.) plants are rich sources of alkaloids used in pharmaceutical products. Recently, rising efforts have been devoted to reducing mineral fertilizer supply, production cost, and environmental pollution via decreasing the doses of nitrogenous fertilizers and adopting biofertilizer farming systems. Two field experiments were conducted to examine the potential role of N fixing bacteria Azotobacter spp. and Azospirillum spp. on the growth, mineral status, tropane alkaloids, leaf anatomy, and seed yield of Egyptian henbane grown with different levels of mineral nitrogen fertilizer, i.e., 25%, 50%, and 100% of the recommended dose, equal to 30, 60, and 120 kg N ha−1. N fertilizer improved growth, mineral elements, tropane alkaloids, seed yield, and yield components of Egyptian henbane, which showed a gradually rising trend as the rate of N fertilizer increased. High doses of N fertilizer presumably elicited favorable changes in the anatomical structure ...
Research Interests:
One of the most vital environmental factors that restricts plant production in arid and semi-arid environments is the lack of fresh water and drought stress. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) productivity is severely limited by abiotic... more
One of the most vital environmental factors that restricts plant production in arid and semi-arid environments is the lack of fresh water and drought stress. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) productivity is severely limited by abiotic stress, especially climate-related constraints. Therefore, a field experiment in split-plot design was carried out to examine the potential function of ascorbic acid (AsA) in mitigating the adverse effects of water stress on common bean. The experiment included two irrigation regimes (100% or 50% of crop evapotranspiration) and three AsA doses (0, 200, or 400 mg L−1 AsA). The results revealed that water stress reduced common bean photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), carbonic anhydrase activity, antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical activity scavenging activity and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation assay), growth and seed yield, while increased enzymatic antioxidants (...
Research Interests:
Due to the remarkable health benefits of celery (Apium graveolens), its consumption has increased over time. A partial substitution of NO3− with NH4 + is recommended to limit the accumulation of NO3− in leafy vegetables. Hence, a... more
Due to the remarkable health benefits of celery (Apium graveolens), its consumption has increased over time. A partial substitution of NO3− with NH4 + is recommended to limit the accumulation of NO3− in leafy vegetables. Hence, a factorial experiment with two factors, consisting of six treatments as combinations of three NH4:NO3 ratios (0:100, 20:80 and 40:60) in nutrient solutions and two harvesting times (in the morning and in the evening), was conducted on celery plants in a soilless culture system. The results showed that 100% NO3 as a sole N source significantly increased plant height, leaf number, chlorophyll, fresh weight, N, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, protein, dietary fibre, soluble sugars, nitrate, vitamin C, α-carotene, β-carotene and lutein of celery plants compared to either 80 or 60% NO3. However, this increase was not significant compared to 20% NH4:80% NO3 in terms of leaf number, fresh yield, N, Mg, Mn, protein, soluble sugars, vitamin C and α-carotene. Harvesting in the...
Research Interests: Plant Biology and Plant
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT
Research Interests:
A greenhouse trials were conducted to examine the effect of inoculation of an exopolysaccharides (EPS) producing bacterial strain (isolated from roots of maize plants grown in a salt-affected soil) on the extent of soil aggregation around... more
A greenhouse trials were conducted to examine the effect of inoculation of an exopolysaccharides (EPS) producing bacterial strain (isolated from roots of maize plants grown in a salt-affected soil) on the extent of soil aggregation around roots of maize plants and evaluate the effect of different EPS-producing bacterial strains on maize growth and ions uptake under salt stress conditions in saline (4, 8 and 12 dS m -1) and non-saline soils. The results showed that the association of the inoculated EPS-producing bacteria was higher with roots of inoculated maize plants grown in saline than non-saline soil and increased soil aggregation around roots of inoculated maize plants grown in saline soil over control. In general, maize growth was reduced with the increased salinity levels. EPS-producing bacterium inoculation, even at higher EC (12 dSm -1), increased significantly root and shoot dry weights, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids contents compared with uninoculated control. Similarl...
Research Interests:
Soybean (Glycine max L.), is the most important pulse crop in the world. Soybean is a very energy-rich grain legume containing 40 percent protein and 19 percent oil in the seeds. The magnitude of soybean yield losses due to nutrient... more
Soybean (Glycine max L.), is the most important pulse crop in the world. Soybean is a very energy-rich grain legume containing 40 percent protein and 19 percent oil in the seeds. The magnitude of soybean yield losses due to nutrient deficiency also varies among the nutrients. Deficiencies of N, P, Fe, B and S nutrients may cause yield losses up to 10 %, 29-45 %, 22-90 %, 100 % and 16-30 %, respectively, in soybean depending on soil fertility, climate and plant factors. Soil salinity is one of the major limiting factors of soybean production in semiarid regions, and chloride salinity has a more depressive effect on yield than sulphate salinity. The goal of nutrient management is to maximize soybean productivity while minimizing environmental consequences. Balanced and timely nutrient management practices applied for soybean contributes to sustainable growth of yield and quality, influences plant health and reduces environmental risks. Balanced nutrition with mineral fertilizers can a...