Greenhouse and field experiments were carried out in sandy soil at Ismailia Agricultural Experiment Research Station to determine the effect of five soil amendments on peanut yield and its diseases incidence. Yield components and quality in addition to pre-and post-emergence damping-off, pod rot and nematode incidence were determined in two peanut cultivars (Gregory and Giza 6) using split-plot design with four replicates.
The results indicated that the Gregory cultivar surpassed, significantly, Giza 6 regarding plant growth parameters, yield and yield components. It was also less susceptible to pre- and post-emergence damping-off pathogens and nematode infection in 2003 and 2004 growing seasons. Adding gypsum increased plant height, number of branches/plant, 100-seed weight, shelling percentage, pod weight and oil yield followed by farmyard manure and wheat straw for most of these characters.
Fusarium spp., Macrophomina phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, Aspergillus spp., Pythium spp. and Meloidogyne spp. were isolated from peanut cultivated in Ismailia Agric Res. Station. Amending soil with gypsum gave the highest reduction of F. solani, M. phaseolina, R. solani and S. rolfsii incidence on the damped-off seedlings and rotted pods in greenhouse. Also, gypsum was the most effective treatment in the field experiments reducing the pre-, post-emergence damping-off, pod rots and nematode infections in both cultivars in the two tested growing seasons. There was a significant interaction between peanut cultivars and treatments in seven out of eleven studied characters in their combined data.
The foreign cultivar, Gregory, was the best in all characters than the local one, Giza
6, So it is recommended to be cultivated in that area and could be evaluated in other peanut producing areas of Egypt. Also, the promising soil amendments should be considered in the integrated pest management and peanut production enhancement programs.
Key words: soil amendments, peanut, damping-off, pod rots and nematode infection.

The present study was carried out at Shandaweel Agric. Res. Station, Sohag, Egypt during 2004, 2005 and 2006 summer seasons. The breeding material used in this study were F4, F5 and F6 generations from two crosses, i.e., Dorado × ICSV-273 ( pop.1) and Dorado × GD-47820 (pop .Π ).The objectives were to compare the efficiency of pedigree selection method and Independent culling levels in improving grain yield/ plant and correlated traits. Highly significant differences among F4 families and satisfactory genotypic coefficient of variability and large magnitude of broad sense heritability were obtained for all studied traits. In two base populations, grain yield/plant showed positive correlations with all studied traits except days to 50% flowering.
The results indicated that the genetic coefficient of variability of grain yield/plant in pop.-І and pop.-Π decreased greatly from 19.51 and 37.14% (F4) to the second cycle (F6) either for pedigree selection (17.20 and 10.88%) or independent culling levels procedures (8.28 and 7.79%), respectively. Two cycles of pedigree selection increased grain yield/plant by 16.22 and 14.51 % from the bulk sample compared to 15.30 and 14.42 % for Independent culling levels in pop. І and Π, respectively.

Two field trials were conducted at Ismailia Agricultural Research Station during the two successive summer growing seasons of 2005 and 2006 to study the effect of phosphorus levels (0,8,16 and 32 P2O5/fed) and inoculation with Bradyrhizobium spp and phosphate dissolving bacteria (Bacillus megaterium var phosphaticum ) either alone or in combinations on nodulation status (number and dry weight of nodules/plant), growth, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake, yield and its attributes of groundnuts in a sandy soil. Results showed that inoculation with Bradyrhizobium and phosphate dissolving bacteria either solely or in combinations improved nodulation status, growth, N and P uptake, yield and its components. However, dual inoculation with (Bradyrhizobium + phosphate dissolving bacteria) were found to surpass the single inoculation for the aformentioned characters, in both growing seasons.
Increasing phosphorus levels up to 16 and 32 kg P2O5/fed significantly increased each of number and dry weight of nodules, dry matter, N and P uptake, number of pods/plant, pod weight/plant, seed weight/plant, 100-pod weight, 100-seed weight, shelling %, pod yield/fed and crude protein compared with the plants received 8 kg P2O5 /fed and unfertilized treatments.
Moreover, results showed that most of the aforementioned characters increased significantly when the two phosphorus levels (16 and 32 kg P2O5/fed) were added in combinations with mixed inoculation with (Bradyhizobium + phosphate dissolving bacteria) compared to other treatments.
It can be concluded that improvement of peanut yield could be achieved by application of 16 kg P2O5/fed as rockphosphate in addition to inoculation with (Bradyrhizobium + phosphate dissolving bacteria) under sandy soils conditions.
Key words: Nitrogen fixation, Bradyrhizobium spp , peanut, phosphate dissolving bacteria, Bacillus megaterium var phosphaticum, phosphorus fertilization.

Twenty grain sorghum genotypes were evaluated under eight different environments (two nitrogen fertilizer levels, i.e 60 and 100 kg N/fad at two locations, i.e. Shandaweel and Assiut Agric Res Stns, ARC, in two successive growing seasons, 2004 and 2005). The combined analysis of variance over all environments indicated significant differences between all studied genotypes respecting grain yield and other agronomic traits. The response of genotypes to environments varied greatly and significantly, all genotypes exhibited better performance under high level of nitrogen fertilization (rich environments). The range of the studied traits ranged from 69.6-74.9 days for flowering date, 113.6-138.7 cm for plant height, 7.1-9.1 for number of green leaves/plant, 19.8-24.0 g for 1000-27.9-59.8 g/plant for grain yield/plant. Highly significant genotype-environment interaction was found for all studied characters. A large portion of this interaction was accounted for by the linear regression on the environmental means. The magnitude of non-linear components was considerably small. Stability parameters across all environments indicated that All hybrids exhibited significant linear response to environmental conditions. Five genotypes, i.e., BTX-629, BTX-630, ICSB-88003, ICSB-20 and ICSB-155 showed stability in grain yield and other traits since they had high means and exhibited high regression coefficient (approximately one).

ABSTRACT
The present investigation was carried out at Qalapshoo Agriculture Research Station, Bilqas district, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, during the two growing seasons of 2004 /2005 and 2005 /2006 in sandy soil. Two field experiments were conducted to study the effect of farmyard manure (FYM) at rates of (16.7, 33.3 and 50 t/ha.), and elemental sulphur levels of (Zero, 238, 476 and 714 Kg/ha.) and foliar application treatments (control, Nofatrin, Cetrin and EM) on yield and its components and quality of flax variety (Sakha 2). The results obtained could be summarized as follows :
Increasing farmyard manure (FYM) rates from 16.7 up to 50 t/ha. significantly increased technical stem length, seed yields per plant and per hectare in the first season, fruiting zone length, stem diameter and number of seeds / capsule in the second season. Straw yield/plant as well as per hectare and straw with capsules yield /ha., fiber yield /ha. fiber length, fiber percentage, fiber strength and fineness, number of capsules and seeds/plant, seed index and oil percentage in both seasons.
Increasing elemental sulphur level from Zero up to 714 Kg S/ha. significantly increased stem diameter in the second season only. Technical stem length, fruiting zone length, straw yield per plant and per hectare, straw with capsules yield/ha. fiber yield /ha., fiber length, fiber percentage, fiber strength and fineness, number of capsules and seeds/plant, number of seeds/capsule, seed index, seed yields per plant and per hectare and oil percentage in both seasons.
Nofatrin application significantly increased fiber yield /ha., fiber percentage and fiber strength and fineness. Cetrin application significantly increased stem diameter, straw yield per plant as well as per hectare, straw with capsules yield /ha., number of capsules and seeds/plant, number of seeds/capsule, seed index, seed yields per plant and per hectare and oil percentage. EM spray significantly increased technical stem length in the first season only, fruiting zone length and fiber length in both seasons.
The interaction among the experimental factors had a significant effect on most characteristics under study, it could be concluded that the highest straw and seed yields were obtained at 50 t FYM /ha. with 714 Kg S/ha. plus spray and with Cetrin, whereas the highest fiber yield was achieved at 50 t FYM /ha. and 714 Kg S/ha. and spray with Nofatrin.


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Keywords: Flax, Linseed, Linum usitatissimum L., fertilizer, farmyard manure, sulphur, foliar application, FYM, EM

A half dialed cross among five common wheat varieties and lines were evaluated in both F1 and F2 generation Were used to estimate general and specific combining abilities and correlation between grain yield / plant each of flag leaf area (FLA), leaf angle (LA), leaf area Index (LAI), specific leaf weight (SLW), relative growth rate(RGR), Chlorophyll ( A, B and carotenes), and some yield components in F1 and grain yield and yield components in F2 (LAI), (SLW) , and chlorophyll were measured at two periods ( 10 and 15 weeks after planting ). Significant mean squares for genotype of parents , crosses, and parents vs. crosses were detected in both generations except parents for (SLW) at the 1st period and parents for (SLW) at the 1st period and parents vs. crosses for *LA), (LAI) at the 1st period and (SLW) at the 2nd period in F1 generation . The parents P2 and P5 were the top of the tested parents in grain yield per plant. Correlation coefficient estimates between grain yield per plant and each of flag leaf area (FLA), leaf angle (LA) specific leaf weight (SLW) at the 1st and 2nd periods, (RGR), number of spikes / plant and 1000-kernelweight in F1, and number of spikes / plant, number of kernels / spike and 1000-kernel weight in F2 were positive and significant .
The mean squares associated with general specific combing ability were significant for all characters in both generations. High GCA/SCA ratio which exceeded than unity were detected for ( FLA), ( LA) and ( SLW) in F1 generation and most the studied characters in F2 generation. The parental line ( P1) had the best combiner for leaf angle ( LA) and low ( LAI), ( SLW) at the 2nd period, (RGR), chlorophyll at the 1st and 2nd periods and number of spikes per plant. Also, the variety ( P5) was the best combiner for ( FLA), ( LAI) at the 1st period, ( SLW) at the 1st period, chlorophylls at the 1st and 2nd periods, number of kernels per spik, 1000-kernel weight and grain yield per plant .
The five crosses (1×2), ( 1×5 ), ( 2×5), (3×4) and ( 4×5) gave significantly positive ( Sij) for grain yield / plant as well as most studied characters for F1 generation. The six crosses (1×2), ( 1×4 ), ( 1×4), ( 2×3), ( 2×5), and (3×4) gave significantly positive ( Sij) for grain yield / plant as well as most studied characters for F2 generation. Generally, the results obtained from F2 data were nearly similar to those obtained from F1 data .

The present study was carried out at Shandaweel Agricultural Research Station, Sohag, Egypt during 2004, 2005 and 2006 summer seasons. The breeding material used in this study were F4, F5 and F6 generations from two crosses, i e., Dorado * Adv.7 ( pop.1) and Dorado* Adv5 (pop .Π ).
The objectives were to compare the efficiency of pedigree selection method and Independent culling levels in improving grain yield/ plant and correlated traits.
Highly significant differences among F4 families and satisfactory genotypic coefficient of variability and large magnitude of broad sense heritability were obtained for all studied traits.
In two base populations, grain yield/plant showed positive correlations with all studied traits except days to 50% flowering.
The results indicate that the genetic coefficient of variability of grain yield/plant in pop. І and pop. Π decreased greatly from the F4 (19.51 and 37.14%) to the second cycle (F6) either for single traits selection (17.20 and 10.88%) or independent culling levels procedures (8.28 and 7.79%), respectively.
Two cycles of pedigree selection increased grain yield/plant by 16.22 and 14.51 % from the bulk sample compared to 15.30 and 14.42 % for Independent culling levels in pop. І and Π, respectively.

ABSTRACT
The present investigation was carried out at Qalapshoo Agriculture Research Station, Bilqas district, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, during the two growing seasons of 2004 /2005 and 2005 /2006 in sandy soil. Two field experiments were conducted to study the effect of farmyard manure (FYM) at rates of (16.7, 33.3 and 50 t/ha.), and elemental sulphur levels of (Zero, 238, 476 and 714 Kg/ha.) and foliar application treatments (control, Nofatrin, Cetrin and EM) on yield and its components and quality of flax variety (Sakha 2). The results obtained could be summarized as follows :
Increasing farmyard manure (FYM) rates from 16.7 up to 50 t/ha. significantly increased technical stem length, seed yields per plant and per hectare in the first season, fruiting zone length, stem diameter and number of seeds / capsule in the second season. Straw yield/plant as well as per hectare and straw with capsules yield /ha., fiber yield /ha. fiber length, fiber percentage, fiber strength and fineness, number of capsules and seeds/plant, seed index and oil percentage in both seasons.
Increasing elemental sulphur level from Zero up to 714 Kg S/ha. significantly increased stem diameter in the second season only. Technical stem length, fruiting zone length, straw yield per plant and per hectare, straw with capsules yield/ha. fiber yield /ha., fiber length, fiber percentage, fiber strength and fineness, number of capsules and seeds/plant, number of seeds/capsule, seed index, seed yields per plant and per hectare and oil percentage in both seasons.
Nofatrin application significantly increased fiber yield /ha., fiber percentage and fiber strength and fineness. Cetrin application significantly increased stem diameter, straw yield per plant as well as per hectare, straw with capsules yield /ha., number of capsules and seeds/plant, number of seeds/capsule, seed index, seed yields per plant and per hectare and oil percentage. EM spray significantly increased technical stem length in the first season only, fruiting zone length and fiber length in both seasons.
The interaction among the experimental factors had a significant effect on most characteristics under study, it could be concluded that the highest straw and seed yields were obtained at 50 t FYM /ha. with 714 Kg S/ha. plus spray and with Cetrin, whereas the highest fiber yield was achieved at 50 t FYM /ha. and 714 Kg S/ha. and spray with Nofatrin.


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Keywords: Flax, Linseed, Linum usitatissimum L., fertilizer, farmyard manure, sulphur, foliar application, FYM, EM

ABSTRACT

Two field experiments were conducted at Qalapshoo Agricultural Experimental Research Station, which belong to Bilqas District-Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt during the two growing seasons of 2004 /2005 and 2005 /2006 in sandy soil. The objectives of this study was conducted to study the effect of three organic matter ( farmyard manure, compost and town refuse) in addition to clay at three rates ( 7, 14 and 21 t/ha.).

The most important results revealed that addition of organic matter forms had a significant effect on most characteristics in both seasons. Addition the clay significantly increased fruiting zone length in the first season, technical stem length, fiber yields per plant and per hectare, fiber percentage, fiber length, number of seeds/plant and seed index in both seasons. Adding farmyard manure significantly increased fibers strength and fineness, number of capsules/plant, seed yields per plant as well as per hectare and percentage in both seasons. Town refuse application significantly increased straw yields per plant and per hectare, straw with capsules yield/ha. and number of seeds/capsule in both seasons. Increasing organic fertilizers rate from 7 up to 21 t/ha. significantly increased straw and straw with capsules yields/ha. in first season, technical stem length, straw yield/plant, fiber yields per plant and per hectare, fiber percentage, fiber length, fibers strength and fineness, number of seeds/plant and oil percentage in both seasons, number of capsules/plant and number of seeds/capsule in the second seasons, seed index , seed yields per plant as well as per hectare in the first season. The interactions between the two factors under study on yield and quality of flax variety Sakha 2 were significant in most characteristics in both seasons.

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Keywords: Flax, Linum usitatissimum L., Linseed, Clay, Farmyard manure, Compost, Town refuse, rates, yield and quality

Two field experiments were carried out at El- Arish Agricultural Research Station, North Sinai Governorate, in 2003 and 2004 seasons, to study the effect of irrigation with saline water on yield, yield components and seed oil of some peanut genotypes through mean performance, correlation coeffient and path analysis.
Results indicated that significant differences among twelve peanut genotypes under study for number of pods/plant, pods weight/plant, seeds weight/plant, 100-pod weight, 100-seed weight, shelling percentage, seed yield/fed as well as seed oil percentage in the two seasons and their combined analysis were observed.
Int 341 genotype surpassed the other peanut genotypes in most of the measured yield and yield components as well as some quality characters. Giza 3 recorded the highest value of 100-pod weight. Int .276 recorded the highest value of shelling percentage. While, Giza 5 gave the highest value of seed oil percentage. On the other hand local 404 recorded the highest value of measured characteristics, while. Int 342 genotype recorded the lowest oil seed percentage in the two seasons and their combined analysis. It was shown that Int 341 gave the highest values in most characters studied under irrigation with saline water and was the most salt tolerance one than the other studied genotypes.
Oil yield/fed appeared positive and significant correlation with number of pods/plant, weight of pods/plant, weight of seeds/plant, 100-pod weight, 100-seed weight, shelling %, pod yield/fed and seed yield/fed,
Other studied characters associated significantly and positively with each others. Oil percentage correlated negatively and insignificantly with the other studied characters.
Path analysis revealed that, the main sources of seed yield variation according to their relative importance were pod yield/fed (192.562) and seed yield/fed (103.877).
These results are of great interest for peanut breeder to select the most tolerant genotype to salinity and could involved in breeding program for salinity or could be recommended to be cultivated in marginal saline soil in Egypt.
Key words: Saline water, peanut, mean performance, irrigation, genotypes