The effect of deficit irrigation with treated wastewater on sweet corn: experimental and modelling study using SALTMED model

This study investigated the impact of using treated wastewater and deficit irrigation on yield, water productivity, dry matter and soil moisture availability. The experiment included six treatments of deficit irrigation with treated wastewater during the 2010 and 2011 seasons and two deficit irrigation treatments combined with 3 organic amendment levels during the 2012 season. The experimental and SALTMED modelling results indicated that regulated deficit irrigation when applied during vegetative growth stage could stimulate root development, increase water and nutrient uptake and subsequently increase the yield. The organic amendment has slightly improved yield under full irrigation but had relatively small effect under stress conditions. The SALTMED model results supported and matched the experimental results and showed similar differences among the different treatments. The model proved its ability to predict soil moisture availability, yield, water productivity and total dry matter for three growing seasons under several deficit irrigation strategies using treated wastewater. The high values of the coefficient of determination R ² reflected a very good agreement between the model and observed values. The SALTMED model results generally confirm the model’s ability to predict sweet corn growth and productivity under deficit irrigation strategies in the semi-arid region.     

Effect of Infrared and Conventional Drying Methods on Physicochemical Characteristics of Stored White Rice

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of infrared (IR) drying followed by tempering and natural cooling on the change of physicochemical characteristics of white rice during up to 10 months of storage. The physicochemical characteristics of IR‐dried rice were also compared with those of conventionally dried rice. It took only 58 s to heat the rough rice from room temperature to 60°C with IR, and 2.17 percentage points of moisture was removed. After four months of storage, the increases in yellowness index, water uptake ratio, and volume expansion ratio of the rice dried with IR were 73.8, 63.9, and 55.3% those of rice dried with an ambient air drying method, respectively. IR drying slightly decreased the gelatinization temperature, enthalpy, and viscosities, reduced the changes in microstructure, and maintained cooking characteristics during storage. Therefore, the IR drying process is recommended to maintain the quality of white rice during storage.     

Field study of soil aeration status in presence of shallow water table

Soil aeration status in cropped lacustrine deposit soil with shallow water table has been studied. Under surface irrigation practice: oxygen concentration, redox potential, and moisture content have been determined at different depths; also the water table fluctuation was recorded. It was found, through quantitative relationships, that only at 30 cm or less above the water table the soil aeration status is highly related to changes in water table depth. The obtained relations allow to estimate to which depth the water table should be lowered, through increased irrigation efficiency or improved drainage systems, in order to achieve the desired aeration status.     

Detection and quantitation of resveratrol in tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Resveratrol is a stilbene phytoalexin well-known for its presence in grape, wine, and peanut. As a result of its antioxidant and chemopreventative properties, it has gained much attention as a functional food ingredient. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the detection of resveratrol, its 3-glucopyranoside piceid, and the cis isomers of both compounds has been developed and used to quantitate the levels of these compounds in the skin of commercially available tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). The resveratrol concentration remains relatively stable during fruit maturation, reaching a maximum concentration in the skin of 18.4 +/- 1.6 microg/g dry weight at 4 weeks postbreaker. No stilbenes were detected in the flesh of tomato fruit.     

Screening for Antifungal Potential of Plant Extracts of Fifteen Plant Species Against Four Pathogenic Fungi Species

The antifungal activity of fifteen wild plant species grown in the Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, was investigated against the fungi species Fusarium solani, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata and Stemphylium botryosum at concentrations of 10, 20, 40 and 80?g/L. The inhibitory effect of test extracts varied among examined fungi, and Fusarium solani exhibited the least sensitivity compared to other fungi species. Antifungal activity of the tested extracts was proportional to the applied dose. Extracts of Lactuca virosa, Neurada procumbens, Ochradenus baccatus and Cyperus conglomerates showed relatively low inhibition effects on the fungi species. The most effective plants were Pulicaria undulata, Artemisia monosperma, Prosopis juliflora, Withania somnifera and Rumex vesicarius. At 80?g/L, extracts of these plant species reduced mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea by 16.5–32.2%, of Fusarium solani by 11.1–27.9%, of Alternaria alternaae by 26.9–63.5% and of Stemphylium botryosum by 22–40%. The methanolic extract of the most effective plant species was further fractioned with hexane, methylene chloride and ethyl acetate. The obtained fractions varied in their effects on mycelial growth of the four tested fungi. Using the same fraction resulted in different inhibition effects on mycelial growth of all tested fungi. The antifungal activity of each crude extract tended to be distributed among its three fractions, probably because the bioactive components were also distributed among the fractions.     

Relationship between angioarchitecture of the testicular artery and spermiogram parameters in Egyptian buffalo bulls (bubalus bubalis)

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of testicular artery angioarchitecture on the spermiogram parameters in Egyptian Buffalo bulls. Eight adult buffalo bulls aged between 2 and 8 years were used for semen evaluation. For anatomical studies, the masculine gonads were collected after slaughtering 30 adult bulls and prepared for injection by different masses (Urographine^®, Latex and Epoxy) through the testicular artery. The mass activity of the ejaculate was assessed immediately after collection. The sperm motility in fresh bull ejaculate was more than 80%. The overall mean percentage of sperm abnormalities was <18%. The recorded sperm abnormalities were mostly secondary one including distal protoplasmic droplet, fragmented tail, detached head, detached galea capitis and bent tail. The highest percentage of sperm viability was recorded just after sperm collection (alive > 85%). The results revealed that testicular artery can be divided into three parts (abdominal, funicular and marginal parts) along its course. The coils of the funicular part forming a cone-like structure with its base fixed to the head of the testis. Two epididymal branches to the head and tail of epididymis emanate from the funicular part which continues as pars marginalis on the lateral surface of testis before its division into the lateral and medial testicular arteries on approaching the tail extremity of the testis. The increase in the length of the testicular artery with increase in the size of the testes played a great role in the degree of complexity of the architectural vascular patterns. The degree of complexity is affected by the number of coils formed by the vessel. The increase in the convolutions of the vessel will reduce the speed of blood flow to the gonads. Thus in turn will enabling the thermoregulatory mechanism to work more efficiently and will affect the semen value.     

Ovarian hormones and antioxidant biomarkers in dromedary camels synchronized with new and re-used controlled intravaginal drug release (CIDR)/GPG (Ovsynch) program during breeding season

This study aimed to investigate the effect of CIDR, re-used wCIDR, and Ovsynch protocols for the synchronization of follicular waves on ovarian hormones, oxidative stress, and antioxidant biomarkers during the breeding season. Dromedary camels (N?=?18) were divided into three equal groups. The first group received CIDR. The second group received previously used wCIDR after thorough cleaning and disinfection. The third group was subjected to GPG protocol. Progesterone (P₄), estradiol (E2) l, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT), lipid peroxide product (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and glutathione reduced (GSH) were measured. Days during CIDR affected P4 (P?= 0.0001), E2 (P?= 0.047), TAC (P?= 0.01), NO (P?= 0.028), and GSH (P?= 0.005). Days during re-used wCIDR effected P4, TAC, CAT, NO, GSH, and MDA (P?≤ 0.001). Days during GPG effected P4, E2, TAC, GSH (P?= 0.0001), MDA (P?= 0.036), and NO (P?= 0.02). CIDR-treated camels had high P4 (P?= 0.0001), E2 (P?= 0.0001), TAC (P?= 0.012), and NO (P?= 0.0001), with low GSH (P?= 0.001), and MDA (P?= 0.003). Exogenous progesterone improved ovarian hormones and the antioxidant capacity and minimized the oxidative stress than the GPG treatment and is recommended for future reproductive management of camels.

     

Periodic Acid-Schiff Reactive Polysaccharides in Mammalian Spermatozoa During their Epididymal Passage

Contents: The periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reactive materials of epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa have been studied in Friesian bulls, buffalo bulls, rams and camels. In the four species, the cytoplasmic droplets displayed strong PAS reaction which did not appear to change markedly during epididymal transit. Only in ram a slight reduction was noted in cauda epididymal and vas deferens spermatozoa. In Friesian bulls, the acrosomes of epididymal spermatozoa exhibited moderate PAS reaction which increased on passage to the vas deferens and after ejaculation. In the buffalo the reaction increased in cauda epididymal and vas deferens spermatozoa but returned again to mderate on ejaculation. In the camel the acrosomes of caput spermatozoa showed strong reaction which was sharply reduced on passage beyond. Meanwhile in rams the acrosomes of spermatozoa obtained from any level of the genital tract exhibited weak PAS reaction. The postnuclear reagions, middle pieces and tails of bull, buffalo, ram and camel spermatozoa showed varying degrees of PAS reaction. The pattern of change during transit of spermatozoa differed from species to another which might be related to the nature of maturational processes. Inhalt: PAS-reaktive Polysaccharide in Saugetierspermien wahrend der Passage durch den Nebenhoden PAS-positive Reaktionen von Nebenhodenspermien und ejakulierten Spermien wurden an Friesian- und Büffelbullen, Schafböcken und Kamelhengsten untersucht. In allen 4 Spezies zeigten die Cytoplasmatröpfchen starke Reaktion, die sich wahrend der Nebenhodenpassage nicht merklich veränderte. Nur beim Schafbock wurde eine geringfügige schwächere Reaktion bei Spermien aus dem Nebenhodenschwanz und dem Vas deferens beobachtet. Bei Friesianbullen zeigte das Akrosom der Nebenhodenspermien eine mittelstarke PAS-Reaktion, die nach Passage durch den Samenleiter und nach der Ejakulation weiter verstarkt war. Beim Büffel war die Reaktion in der Cauda und Vas deferens verstarkt, in ejakulierten Spermien aber wieder schwächer. Beim Kamel war das Akrosom der Caput-Spermien stark positiv, bei der nachfolgenden Passage nahm die Reaktion deutlich ab. Das Akrosom der Schafspermien war in allen Organabschnit-ten nur schwach angefärbt. Bei allen vier untersuchten Spezies zeigten die anderen Spermienbereiche (postnukleare Region, Mittelstück, Schwanz) sehr unterschiedliche Reaktionen. Die Veränderungen während er Nebenhodenpassage waren zwischen den Spezies unterschiedlich und vermutlich abhängzg von Unterschieden in den Reifungsprozessen.