Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: This work was carried out at a private farm in Tokh, Kalubia, Gov., Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2013/14 and 2014/15, using randomized complete block design with three replications to study the effect of pre-soaking seed cloves and foliar spray of silicon (Si), selenium (Se) concentrations and their combinations on germination, early seedlings growth, marketable and total green yield as well as chemical constituents of garlic planted under high temperature conditions of late summer (End of August). The results of this study showed that planting garlic under high temperature stress lead to drop in both rate and speed of germination, which reflected on growth and yield. However, soaking seed cloves in 4 mg/L silicon and/or 2 mg/L selenium solutions significantly increased in each of percentage, speed and coefficient velocity of germination as well as seed vigor index compared with untreated control. The soaking seed cloves in silicon at 4 mg/L. was found to produce more increase in germination index and early seedlings growth compared to selenium at 2 mg/L. The highest values of bulb characters, marketable and total green yield, as well as chemical constituents were achieved with application both Si and Se together as combination in a mixture.

Role of the Salicylic and Ascorbic Acid on the Control of Growth, Flowering and Yield of Globe Artichoke

Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: Two field experiments were carried out at Kaha Vegetables Research Farm,Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre during the two successiveseasons of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 to investigate the effect of foliar application ofsalicylic acid (SA), ascorbic acid (AA) at different concentrations 50 and/or 100 ppm ofeach on vegetative growth characters, early, mid and late yield as well as total yield andits quality, chemical constituents of produced heads of globe artichoke (Cynara scolymusL.) cv. Balady. Foliar application of salicylic or ascorbic acid generally had a positiveeffect on vegetative growth parameters expressed as plant height, leaves, and offshootsnumber /plant as well as leaf area (cm2) and dry matter percentage of leaves as comparedwith the control treatment. In this regard, spraying globe artichoke plants with salicylicacids at 100 ppm reflected the highest growth values during both seasons of study.However, the combination of salicylic and ascorbic acid each at the highest usedconcentration (100 ppm) did not reflect any significant effect on early head, mid and lateyield compared with the control. Foliar spray of salicylic acid at 100 ppm gave thehighest yield values followed by ascorbic acid at the same concentration while usingsalicylic at 100 ppm plus ascorbic acid at 100 ppm had no significant effect on averageearly yield, total yield as ton /fed., average head weight and heads fresh weight /plantcompared with the control treatment. Application of salicylic and ascorbic acid,especially at 100 ppm resulted in the highest increments on early and total yield.Production protein and inuline percentage in heads were significantly increased due toincreasing salicylic and ascorbic acid up to the highest used concentration (100 ppm)when used as foliar spray on leaves. On the other hand, crude fiber in head of globeartichoke was significantly increased in control treatment compared with the other testedtreatments, while foliar spray of salicylic acid at 100 ppm gave the lowest values of crudefibers during both seasons of the study

The Role of Sodium Nitroprusside in Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Reducing Nitrate Accumulation of Globe Artichoke

Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: These experiments were carried out during two successive winter winter seasons of 2011/012 and 2012/013 on globe artichoke cv. French. The plants were grown at Kaha Kalubia Gov. Egypt, under clay loam soil and surface irrigation system, to investigate the effect of nitrogen levels (100, 75 and 50 % of the recommended dose, Sodium nitroprusside concentrations as foliar spray of 0.0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 mM/L. and their interaction on vegetative growth, heads quality, early, middle and late yield as well as nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and nitrate accumulation of globe artichoke. The obtained results showed that increasing the nitrogen level up to 400 kg ammonium nitrate/fed., in general significantly enhanced the growth parameters, heads quality, early, middle and late heads yield as well as chemical constituents,but negatively influenced the NO3-N and NUE. The contra results were obtained when globe artichoke plants was sprayed by sodium nitroprusside at the lowest level (0.05 mM/L.) with low values of NO3-N and high NUE compared with the highest concentration. The combination between 100 % of the recommended dose of nitrogen (400 kg ammonium nitrate/fed.) with the low concentration of SNP (0.05 mM/L.) produced the best results on vegetative growth characteristics, head and receptacle quality, early, middle and late heads yield per plant and ton/fed. as well as chemical constituents. Whereas, there were no significant differences between using 400 and 300 kg ammonium nitrate/fed. when each of them combined separately with 0.05 mM/L. of SNP on most cases of vegetative growth, all head and receptacle characters as well as early, middle and late heads yield per plant and per fed. in both seasons. However, the nitrogen use efficiency was increased and nitrate content of heads was significantly decreased when artichoke plants supplied with the second nitrogen level (300 kg ammonium nitrate /fed.) combined with the second concentration of SNP (0.05 mM/L.). Key words: Globe artichoke, nitrogen level, Sodium Nitroprusside, growth; early yield, middle yield, late yield, N contents, total sugars. Nitrate accumulation, nitrogen use efficiency, NUE

Improve the Adverse Impacts of Water Stress on Growth, Yield and Its Quality of Taro Plants

Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted at Kaha Vegetables Research Farm, Horticulture ResearchInstitute, Agriculture Research Centre during 2011and 2012 summer seasons to investigate the effect of waterstress combined with glycinebetaine (GB), magnesium carbonate (MgCo3) and defoliation on vegetative growth,yield and it’s quality as well as chemical constituents of taro plants cv Egyptian. The obtained results showedthat there were differences among the tested irrigation regimes and GB, MgCo3 and defoliation treatment invegetative growth, yield and its components as well as chemical constituents. Obtained data indicated that,surface irrigation or drip irrigation at 100 % of Field capacity (FC) gave the highest results in the most ofvegetative growth, yield and its components compared with other treatments. Foliar spray of GB at the rate of100 ppm or MgCo3 at the rate of 5 % improved plant growth, yield, and its components. However, GBapplication gave the highest results as a single effect or with combined with surface or drip irrigation at 100 %of FC. Drip irrigation at 80 % of FC recorded the best result in crop water use efficiency (WUE). GB supportedplant taro to absorb N and Mg under different irrigation levels. On the other hand, proline content was increasedwith decreasing water supply

Relation of Planting Date, Cultivars and Growing Degree-Days on Growth, Yield and Quality of Garlic

Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: An experiment was conducted in research farm of Kaha, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Kalubia governorate, Egypt in winter season of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 to study the effects of different planting dates, cultivars and growing degree days (GDD) on vegetative growth, yield and its components of garlic. The experiment was a split plot design with three replications. The planting date at four different times (Sep.25, Oct. 10, Oct. 25 and Nov. 10) made the main plot and three cultivars (Balady, Sids-40 and White super) constituted the sub-plot. The Maximum and minimum Temperature was recorded during growing season to calculate accumulative growing degree days (GDD). The obtained results showed that planting date on 25 th Sep. combined with all cvs. recorded the highest germination percentage in both seasons whereas, the late planting date (November 10) gave the lowest germination percentage. The Balady cultivar was minimum GDD accumulation when it was emerged after 18.67 day from planting. The 25 th Sep. planting date significantly produced higher means on plant height, number of leaves per plant and leaves weight per plant in the first and second seasons. The super white cultivar combine with planting date Sep. 25 has the height GDD about 1929 and 1345 unit for the two seasons. The yield and its components was increased under early planting date furthermore, under late planting date conditions the yield and its components were significantly decreased. The plating date on Sep. 25 was the highest yield and GDD accumulated compared to other planting date on the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. The lowest yield and GDD was observed by planting on 10 th Nov. in first and second seasons. The White super cultivar produced the highest yield due to increase GDD accumulated followed by Sids-40. Whereas, cv. Balady produce the lower most bulb yield and less GDD in the first and second seasons. The N, P and K contents in the garlic bulbs were increased when garlic seed cloves planted on 25 th Sep. However, the NPK contents in garlic bulbs were decreased with planting date was late.

Influence of Colored Plastic Mulches and Harvest Date on Tubers Yield and Quality of Potato

Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted at Kaha Vegetables Research Farm, Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre during 2011/2012and 2012/2013 winter seasons to investigate the effect of colored plastic mulches(black-red-blue) and harvest dates(100, 110 and 120 DAP) on yield, yield components and tuber quality as well as chemical constituents of potato cv. Diamant. The obtained results showed that there were differences among the tested colored plastic mulches in yield and its components as well as chemical constituents. Obtained data indicated that, the tubers yield and its components significantly affected. Although, the lowest values were obtained as a result of using bare soil treatment. The one harvest date (100 DAP) gave the lowest values in the yield and its components as well as chemical constituents of potato tubers. Moreover, the differences between the two and three harvest dates not reach to significance level in the most of yield and its components. However, the highest value was recorded to the third harvest time.

Influence of Colored Plastic Mulches on Germination, Growth and Marketable Yield of Potato

Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted at Kaha Vegetables Research Farm, Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre during 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 winter seasons to investigate the effect of colored plastic mulches (black-red-blue) on germination, growth and production stages, as well as, chemical constituents of potato cv. Diamant. The obtained results showed that there were differences among the tested colored plastic mulches in germination, vegetative growth aspects, yield and its components, as well as, chemical constituents. Obtained data indicated also that, the black plastic mulch produced higher soil temperatures while the red polyethylene mulch apparently showed highest moisture (23.45%), followed by black (22.75%) and blue (20.88 %) polyethylene mulch. The black mulch was significantly increased in germination rate and number of stems per plant, whereas; red mulch exhibited the highest values in all studied growth traits, marketable yield and its quality. Although, the lowest values were obtained as a result of using bare soil treatment. The highest gross return 50333 LE. /fed. was found from red polyethylene mulch and the lowest gross return 19523 LE./fed. was obtained from the bare soil treatment. Red polyethylene mulch gave the highest net return 36883 LE. Followed by black mulch 32043 LE.

Physiological and Biotechnological Studies on Some Local and Foreign Garlic Genotypes

Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: Egyptian garlic cultivar (Balady) and Sids-40 plus three foreign genotypes (Chinese, Italian, Brazilian) were evaluated in two field seasons (2012/13 & 2013/14). Results showed Balady recorded the greatest plant height, Sids-40 the highest leaf number, and the Chinese genotype the largest leaf area, total plant fresh/dry weight, bulb diameter, average bulb weight and average clove weight. Brazilian genotype had the highest chlorophyll content and high allicin in some cases. Marketable yield was highest for the Chinese genotype and Sids-40. ISSR analysis (6 primers) revealed high polymorphism among genotypes, with primer #6 amplifying all genotypes, indicating ISSR markers are useful for cultivar differentiation, parental selection, breeding and conservation strategies.

The Effect of Some Organic Compounds on the Growth and Productivity of Some Potato Varieties

Author: Dr. Samir Elzohiri

Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted at Kaha Vegetables Research Farm, Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre during 2006 and 2007 winter seasons to investigate the effect of hammar, amino power and bio rooting compounds with two levels for each one on growth, productivity, quality and chemical constituents of two potato cultivars (Lady Palfour and Oceania). The obtained results showed that there were differences among the tested cultivars in vegetative growth aspects, yield and its components as well as chemical constituents. Obtained data indicated also that, cv. Lady Palfour exhibited the highest values in all studied growth traits, yield and its components. Whereas, such increments did not reach the level of significancy in case of fresh and dry weight /plant and tuber in the first season and dry weight for both plant foliage and tuber in the second season. Whereas, the increments in case of yield and its components were significantly. Cv. Lady Palfour recorded the highest values in case of average tuber weight, yield/plant, higher percentage of large size tuber and total yield ton /feddan. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between the two cultivars i.e., Lady Palfour and Oceania in the state of number of tubers /plant during both seasons of study. Foliar spray of amino power at 0.5 cm 3 /l significantly increase vegetative growth aspects, yield and its components followed by amino power at 0.25 cm /l compared with other tested compounds in this study. However, foliar spray of cv. Lady Palfour with amino power at 0.5 cm 3 /l resulted in significant increased in vegetative growth aspects, yield and its components compared with cv. Oceania. Moreover, there was no significant effect between the two cultivars in case of specific gravity during both seasons of study, whereas cv. Oceania gave the highest values in Zn during both seasons and in tuber content of starch in the first season only compared with cv. Lady Palfour.