Mature pod color (PC) and pod size (PS) served as important characteristics are used in the soybean breeding programs. However, manual phenotyping of such complex traits is time-consuming, laborious, and expensive for breeders. Here, we collected pod images from two different populations, namely, a soybean association panel (SAP) consisting of 187 accessions and an inter-specific recombinant inbred line (RIL) population containing 284 RILs. An image-based phenotyping method was developed and used to extract the pod color-and size-related parameters from images. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) and linkage mapping were performed to decipher the genetic control of pod color-and size-related traits across 2 successive years. Both populations exhibited wide phenotypic variations and continuous distribution in pod color-and size-related traits, indicating quantitative polygenic inheritance of …

Understanding the genetic mechanism underlying seed size, shape, and weight is essential for enhancing soybean cultivars. High-density genetic maps of two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations, LM6 and ZM6, evaluated across multiple environments to identify and validate M-QTLs as well as identify candidate genes behind major and stable QTLs. A total of 239 and 43 M-QTLs were mapped by composite interval mapping (CIM) and mixed-model based composite interval mapping (MCIM) approaches, from which 180 and 18, respectively, are novel QTLs. Twenty-two QTLs including four novel major QTLs were validated in the two RIL populations across multiple environments. Moreover, 18 QTLs showed significant AE effects, and 40 pairwise of the identified QTLs exhibited digenic epistatic effects. Thirty-four QTLs associated with seed flatness index were identified and reported here for the first time. Seven QTL clusters comprise several QTLs for seed size, shape and weight on genomic regions of chromosomes 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 17 and 19 were identified. Gene annotations, gene ontology (GO) enrichment and RNA-seq analyses of the genomic regions of those 7 QTL clusters identified 47 candidate genes for seed-related traits. These genes are highly expressed in seed-related tissues and nodules, which might be deemed as potential candidate genes regulating the seed size, weight and shape traits in soybean. This study provides detailed information on the genetic basis of the studied traits and candidate genes that could be efficiently implemented by soybean breeders for fine mapping and gene cloning, and for MAS targeted at improving …

Experiments were conducted during four consecutive seasons of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 on three grape cultivars including “Bez-El-Anza”, “Thompson Seedless” and “Red Roomy” planted at the Experimental Orchard of fruit section, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University in a complete randomized blocked design. This investigation was carried out to study the effect of spraying Seaweed extract, Amino acids and Vitamins on C/N ratio, yield and berry quality of some grape cultivars. The obtained results showed that Tyrosin at 500 ppm recorded the highest yield (9.47 kg/vine) during the 1st season. All treatments had a significant impact in the respect of TSS %, acidity% and TSS/acid ratio. Concerning C/N ratio, Vit.B12 at 150 ppm recorded the highest ratio (44.85) during the 1st season. Hence, the present study concluded applications of Seaweed extract, amino acid and Vitamins improved vine C/N ratio, yield and berry attributes of “Bez-El-Anza”, „Thompson Seedless‟ and “Red Roomy” grape cultivars.

. urea plus yeast as well as roselle or lemongrass instead of GA3 in grape production to overcome the adverse GA3 effects the ripening with fairly good Early Sweet Seedless berries quality. In addition, it could be used and full-bloom followed 0.4% yeast at pea stage gave heavy and less compact clusters and hastens lemongrass at pre-bloom, full bloom and pea stage. In addition, spraying 1.5% urea at pre-bloom dry yeast once. From the results, it could be concluded that spraying either GA3, roselle or replications. GA3, roselle and lemongrass were applied thrice, where urea twice followed active evaluated. The experimental vines were arranged in a complete randomized design with three spraying and unsprayed one (control) at various stage of cluster and berry development were Governorate, Egypt. Five treatments of GA3 urea plus active dry yeast, roselle, lemongrass on Early Sweet Seedless grapevines grown in Eiat vineyard, El-Odesate district, Luxor Abstract: This investigation was conducted during the two successive seasons i.e. 2018 and 2019

Reducing the reliance on hazardous agrochemicals (i.e., chemical fertilizers) that damage agro-ecosystems represents great challenges in modern agriculture. Sulfur-enriched biochar derived from organic wastes in the presence of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria could be a promising alternative to inorganic phosphorus fertilizers for sustainable P use in highly calcareous soils. This incubation experiment examined the impacts of applying a mixture of bone-wood chips biochar and sulfur at different rates with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria as well as incubation periods on availability and fraction changes of P in high P-fixing soil as calcareous sandy soil. In this study, 100 g air-dried soil was placed in plastic jars. It contains 3 treatments: control is unamended soil, soil amended with 0.25 g of biochar amendment jar−1, and soil amended with 0.50 g of biochar amendment jar−1. Soil in all treatments was inoculated by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (Thiobacillus spp.). The results revealed that applying biochar amendment improved significantly phosphorus availability compared with control. Olsen-P increased with increasing incubating periods for bone char treatments and control. The value of Olsen-P was highest when 0.25 g and 0.50 g of biochar amendments jar−1 were added (32 and 34 mg kg−1, respectively) and the lowest in the control treatment (29 mg kg−1). Applying biochar amendments to calcareous sandy soil significantly enhanced labile P and P associated with calcium fractions compared to control. Based on those obtained results, using sulfur-enriched biochar in calcareous sandy soil is beneficial because it can be a slow-release fertilizer, has a low cost, and is a clean alternative to mineral phosphate fertilizers.

Mycobiota and mycotoxins associated with wheat grains and some of its products intended for human consumption in Upper Egypt, such as wheat flour, kishk, shamsy bread, Burghol and biscuits have been investigated. The obtained results indicated that all the studied products showed various levels of fungal contamination specially wheat flour, which was highly contaminated, followed by wheat burghol. Many species belonging to several genera of fungi were isolated from all the studied products. Aspergillus was the most predominant genus followed by Penicillium. Aflatoxin B1 detected in 40% of burghol samples and 20% of wheat grains and kishk samples. Sterigmatocystin detected in 40 % of wheat grain samples, meanwhile zearalinone occurred in 20% of wheat flour samples.

This study was aimed to investigate the optimum incubation temperature for cellulases production by Aspergillus niger AUMC 8485, Aspergillus flavus AUMC 8534 and Emericella nidulans AUMC 8581. The obtained results showed that, the optimum incubation temperature for cellulases production as measured by cup-plate clearing zone technique was 35٥ C for all the studied species. The diameter of clearing zone was 22.0, 24.5, 26.0 mm for Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Emericella nidulans, respectively. In case of exo –D-1,4 gluconase (FP-ase) production, the highest enzymatic activity was obtained at 35٥ C by all the studied fungal species. Meanwhile, the highest specific activity was recorded at 40٥ C for A. niger and at 35٥ C for A. flavus and E. nidulans. At the same time, the optimum incubation temperature for endo- ß- D-1,4 gluconase (CMC-ase) production was recorded at 40٥ C for A. niger and E. nidulans, and at 35 ٥ C for A. flavus. The highest CMC-ase specific activity was observed at 40٥ C for all the studied strains. The maximum amount of reducing sugars found in the culture filtrate at 35٥ C for A. niger, and at 40٥ C for A. flavus and E. nidulans. Also, the highest amount of soluble protein was recorded at 35٥ C for A. niger and at 30٥ C for A. flavus and E. nidulans

Some factors affecting bee venom extraction by electrical impulses directly from honey bee colonies were studied.  Two experiments were conducted during the summer months to study the effect of defensive response degree, colony strength level, and season time of collection. Twenty-four carniolan hybrid honey bee colonies were used. The results revealed that defensive response was depended on the colony strength and season time of collection. When the number of stings par colony was determined, the stings number was related to the number of frames covered with bees. Bee venom amount which weakly extracted significantly differed during summer months (July and August). From the results of the variability of extracted venom amounts, the main peak of production was recorded during July month. Negative correlation coefficients were recorded between defensive response and collected bee venom from three strength levels from honey bee colonies

We investigated the importance of protein nutrition for honey bee immunity. Different protein diets (monofloral pollen of Helianthus spp., Sinapis spp., Asparagus spp., Castanea spp., a mixture of the four different pollen and the pollen substitute Feedbee TM) were fed to honey bees in cages ad libitum. After 18 days of feeding, apidaecin 1 isoforms concentration in the thorax were measured using nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Expression levels of genes, coding for apidaecins and abaecin in the abdomen were determined using quantitative PCR. The results indicate that protein-containing nutrition in adult worker honey bees can trigger certain metabolic responses. Bees without dietary protein showed lower apidaecin 1 isoforms concentrations. The significantly lowest concentration of apidaecin 1 isoforms was found in the group that was fed no pollen diet when compared to Asparagus, Castanea, Helianthus, and Sinapis pollen or the pollen supplement FeedBee TM. Expression levels of the respective genes were also affected by the protein diets and different expression levels of these two antimicrobial peptides were found. Positive correlation between concentration and gene expression of apidaecins was found. The significance of feeding bees with different protein diets, as well as the importance of pollen nutrition for honey bee immunity is demonstrated.