Field Crops Research Institute

The present study aimed to evaluate the technological grain quality traits of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties grown under selection nursery conditions. Grain quality plays a crucial role in determining wheat suitability for processing and baking. In this study, 30 winter wheat varieties developed by local breeders were analyzed for key quality parameters, including grain bulk density (test weight), protein content, gluten content, and grain vitreousness. The results showed significant variation among the studied genotypes. Grain bulk density ranged from 800.9 to 885.0 g/L, with the highest values observed in Muzbuloq, Temiryazevka 150, O‘ITI-1, and Obod. Protein content varied between 11.6% and 16.5%, with higher values in Nurafshon, O‘ITI-1, and Yangi hayot. Gluten content ranged from 25.8% to 30.9%, with superior показатели in Barqaror, O‘ITI-1, Obod, and Nurafshon. Grain vitreousness varied from 71.0% to 83.2%, indicating differences in grain structure and technological properties. Statistical analysis revealed low variability for grain bulk density and vitreousness, while protein and gluten content showed moderate variability. The study confirmed that grain quality traits are interrelated and should be evaluated комплекс tarzda. Among the studied varieties, Obod, Barqaror, and O‘ITI-1 were identified as promising genotypes with high technological and nutritional potential. These varieties can be recommended for breeding programs and for improving wheat grain quality in agricultural production.

Achieving an optimal nutrient balance is fundamental to sustainable crop production, particularly for economically important oilseed crops such as sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). In the face of increasing food demand and climate variability, strategies that improve both resource use efficiency and crop quality are becoming essential. The study examines the effect of selenium (Se) foliar application on sunflower seed and oil yield under varying levels of water stress using the diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS). Treatments included selenium concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 20 ppm) applied under full irrigation (100% WR), moderate stress (75% WR), and severe stress (50% WR) water requirement (WR). Results demonstrated that selenium application significantly enhanced seed and oil yield under water stress, particularly at 10 ppm under 75% WR. Nutrient content analysis revealed increased nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations with rising selenium levels, especially under limited water conditions. Nutrient balance indices and DRIS indices identified phosphorus as the most frequently limiting nutrient, with nutrient order often following the sequence P > N > K. Based on the reference norms for nutrient ratio interpretation, selenium application shifted nutrient ratios toward balanced or slightly excess levels, improving nutrient synchrony and physiological efficiency. The integration of selenium with deficit irrigation holds promise for optimizing nutrient balance and enhancing productivity in water-limited environments.

This article proposes an improved regenerator design for cleaning fibrous material. A drawback of existing analogues is that when the material is conveyed by an air stream, a portion of it passes in transit to the outlet pipe, which leads to a decrease in cleaning efficiency and a large amount of cotton pieces entering the waste. In the proposed device, an auger installed in the upper part of the main saw drum forcibly moves the material along the drum's axis, directing it to the re-cleaning zone and ensuring the regeneration process.

The development of new corn hybrids is imperative in present-day agriculture and is integral to tackling the challenges posed by climate change, feeding a growing population, and securing the long-term viability of agriculture. Evaluating combining ability helps predict the performance of hybrid combinations, enabling breeders to select superior inbreds for developing high-yielding hybrids. Thus, this study aimed to assess the GCA and SCA effects of 18 new maize inbreds. Besides, classifying them into a heterotic group. Thirty-six hybrids, derived from crosses between 18 female inbreds and two male testers, were evaluated across three locations. The study assessed the combining abilities of the inbreds and the relative importance of GCA over SCA, the correlation between yield and yield-related traits, classified the inbreds into heterotic groups, and compared the efficiencies of the SCA effect of grain yield method (HSGCA) and the yield method for heterotic grouping. The relative importance of GCA effects over SCA effects underscored the preponderance of GCA over SCA in this set of lines and testers, suggesting that additive gene action played a predominant role in the inheritance of all measured traits. Yield showed significant positive correlations with EL (r = 0.74) and ED (r = 0.86), highlighting the role of secondary traits in yield selection. The HSGCA method was more effective than the SCA method in classifying inbreds. Four hybrids (H-32, H-34, H-18, and H-24) were identified as promising and should be tested in multilocation trials and promoted for commercialization in Egypt to enhance food security.

Abstract. Zalama MT, Leilah AAA. 2025. Predicting soybean seed longevity under ambient storage through multivariate viability and vigor analysis. Asian J Agric 9: 702-711. The current study examined the longevity of the soybean seed cultivar (Giza 111) under ambient storage conditions in Dakahlia, Egypt, from July 2023 to June 2024. Three lots of seed from different sources were observed for up to 360 days to predict seed longevity and to determine storage parameters for warehouse management. Initial seed quality was estimated, then a simplified viability equation, v = Ki - (1/?) P, was applied to predict seed longevity during the storage period. Significant differences were noticed among seed lots. Seed lot 01 (Legumes Department, FCRI, ARC) exhibited the best seed viability, with the highest storage index (? = 120 days), longest half-viability period (P50 = 151 days), and slowest deterioration rate (tg? = -0.0008), indicating superior vigor during storage. In contrast, seed lots 02 and 03, obtained from the private sector, showed reduced viability, with Lot 03 exhibiting the lowest (? = 90 days, tg? = -0.011, P50 = 79 days). Linear regression showed seed viability decline rates differed: Lot 01 (slowest, -2.50), Lot 02 (moderate, -2.73), and Lot 03 (fastest, -3.34), confirming relative deterioration speeds. Pearson correlation analysis showed a strong positive correlation between probit viability and seed vigor indices, including germination (r = 0.946), accelerated aging (r = 0.945), seedling dry weight (r = 0.925), and vigor index II (r = 0.935). Quantitative data further supported the correlation between probit viability and vigor parameters. This study demonstrated that a simplified viability equation effectively predicted the longevity and vigor of soybean seeds from different sources stored under ambient conditions in Dakahlia, Egypt. Significant differences in viability and deterioration rates among seed lots underscore the equation's value for practical seed storage monitoring, improved ambient storage management, and enhanced seed inventory control and quality preservation through accurate performance prediction.

In order to evaluate the combining ability and genetic effects for morpho-physiological and yield parameters in rice under well-watered and drought situations, this study was conducted in Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt, during the summers of 2023 and 2024. Seven rice accessions were intercrossed in a 7 × 7 half-diallel scheme, generating a total of 21 F₁ hybrids during summer 2023. In 2024, parents and F1 hybrids were evaluated in a RCBD under control watering (every 4 days) and water-deficit stress (every twelve days). Significant variations observed among the genotypes and their components revealed substantial genetic diversity. Hybrids; GZ 179 × IET-1444 and IET-1444 × HR-5824 exhibited the highest mean performance for most traits under both conditions. For every variable, ANOVA revealed highly significant G.C.A and S.C.A impacts. Additive effects dominated for earliness and 1000-grain weight, whereas non-additive effects controlled traits viz., chlorophyll content, yield/plant-1, and harvest index, indicating that effective selection and hybridization are crucial in rice adjustment. GZ 179, Sakha 107, and IET-1444 were the best general combiners, whereas GZ 179 × IET-1444, GZ 179 × HR-5824, and IET-1444 × HR-5824 were superior specific combinations at both environments. Under drought, antioxidant enzyme activities, proline, and phenolic contents increased, while Malondialdehyde (MDA) and R.O.S radical levels decreased, indicating enhanced stress tolerance. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes by drought response, identifying tolerant rice entries with strong biochemical defense and stable yield performance.

Improving crop productivity on marginal, especially saline soils require environmentally friendly approaches and careful identification of tolerant varieties. A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive growing seasons at a private farm in the Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to evaluate the performance of six monogerm sugar beet varieties (Albus, Goelette, Prodessa KWS, Geizer, Tornadoo, and Spectra) under saline soil conditions. The study also examined yield and quality responses to four application rates of Sal-Wax-Ca (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 kg/fed). Applying Sal-Wax-Ca during early growth stages enhanced crop growth and improved plant tolerance to salinity. Increasing rates of Sal-Wax-Ca significantly improved root yield, sugar yield, and related growth traits compared with untreated control. Higher rates also reduced impurity parameters, such as sugar lost to molasses (SLM %) and concentrations of Na, K, and N, across both seasons, contributing to improved sugar extraction quality. Among the evaluated varieties, Albus variety exhibited the highest tolerance and productivity under salinity, recording superior crop growth rate, total chlorophyll content, root diameter, sucrose percentage, and root and sugar yields (ton/fed). In contrast, Spectra consistently recorded the lowest values for most growth, yield, and quality parameters. Hierarchical clustering showed that the 1.5 kg/fed Sal-Wax-Ca treatment clustered distinctly with the Albus, Goelette, and Tornadoo varieties, indicating a strong positive response to the amendment under salinity stress. Correlation analysis and heat-map clustering further highlighted the interrelationships among and growth, yield, quality, traits, uncovering patterns not evident through conventional statistical methods.

Legume productivity depends on biotic interactions above and below ground, such as pollination and Rhizobia symbiosis. Yet, these interactions remain unexplored, particularly in the context of different cropping systems. This study investigated the interactive effects of intercropping and pollination on faba bean nodulation and yield in an organic system, where faba bean and pumpkin were alternated in 3 m-wide strips and compared to faba bean plants grown as a monocrop. Faba bean nodulation and yield were evaluated in open (insect-pollinated) and bagged (self-pollinated) plants. Results showed that faba bean yield and nodulation were enhanced at strip edges. Nodule mass increased by 45 %, the number of active nodules increased by 33 %, and seed weight per plant was 61 % higher compared to monocrops. Insect pollination treatment also increased nodule mass by 19 % and seed weight by 37 %. We found that pollination treatment influenced the relationship between active nodules and yield parameters with insect-pollinated plants being less dependent on active nodules for productivity. In addition, we found complex interactions between cropping system, pollination treatments and nodulation, whereby, in intercropping systems, both yield and nodulation benefit from pollination but not in monocropping systems. Our findings confirm that intercropping positively affects faba bean yield and nodulation, likely driven by nutrient competition and resource use complementarity between crops. Importantly, we provide the first evidence of pollination affecting faba bean- Rhizobia symbiosis, likely through shifts in plant resource allocation. These findings underscore the need to better understand interactions between above- and belowground symbioses for the transition towards sustainable agriculture. • Intercropping boosted faba bean nodulation (+45 %) and yield (+64 %). • Insect pollination increased faba bean nodule mass (+ 19 %) and seed mass (+34 %). • Pollination and intercropping interactively affect yield parameters via nodulation.

A two-year field trial was conducted at Shandaweel Research Station, Sohag Governorate, Egypt, during the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons to study the effect of different plant distributions of sesame intercropped with some sorghum cultivars on the yield and yield components of both crops. The field experiment consisted of nine treatments, three sorghum cultivars (Dorado, Sohag-1 and Sohag-3), and three sesame plant distributions at 50, 33.3 and 25% of the recommended sole crop density of sesame, using a split-plot design with three replications. The results revealed that the highest yield in sorghum was obtained with 100% sorghum + 25% sesame and sorghum cultivar Sohag-3. On the other hand, the highest yield of sesame was obtained with 100% sorghum + 50% sesame and sorghum cultivar Dorado. The highest total land equivalent ratio (1.31) was recorded from 100% sorghum + 25% sesame with Dorado cultivar. The highest net return (2516 USD/ha) was obtained with 100% sorghum + 25% sesame and sorghum cultivar Sohag-3. It can be concluded from the study that the intercropping system of 100% sorghum + 25% sesame with cultivar Sohag-3 gave the highest productivity and economic return.