Two greenhouse pot experiments (clayey and sandy soil) were conducted in order to evaluate the effects of solarization (covering the soil with transparent plastic sheets), inoculation with sulfur oxidizing bacteria SOB (isolated thiobacillus), addition of filter mud cake (one of the sugar industry wastes, Nagaa Hammady Sugar Factory) as a source of organic matter and elemental sulfur (granule or micronize) on some sand and clay soil properties. In both soils, the temperature of solarized soil was always higher than the nonsolarized one with an average of 6oC at 8:00 AM and 14oC at 4:00 PM which resulted in a reduction in OM percentage. Both FMC and S addition had great effects on increasing soil EC compared to the increase that resulted from either solarization or SOB inoculation. The effect of elemental sulfur addition on decreasing soil pH was higher than the other treatments in clay soil, while FMC addition was the most effective treatment in sandy soil. The highest increase in available S was always found when soils were treated with elemental sulfur. Each of the treatments increased the available P in both soils, however the most effective treatment was FMC addition. Soluble Ca+2+Mg+2 and K+ were always increase due to each of the treatments. The highest increase in soluble Na+ was due to increasing soil temperature by solarization compared to the other treatments.

Boron deficiency is expected to occur on Cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown on clay soil received high rate of P fertilizer and amended with crop residues (CR). This work aims to explore the response of cotton plants grown on such soil to B side- dressing. Two rates of B (0 and 2 kg B fed-1 as boric acid), four rates of P fertilizer (0, 100, 300 and 500 kg superphosphate fed-1) and two levels of CR were tested in an experiment carried out at the Experimental Farm of Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. Heavy application of superphosphate (500 kg SP fed-1) resulted in increasing hot water extractable B from 1.88 to 2.05 and from 2.68 to 3.01 ppm in soil samples collected at peak bloom of two growth seasons. Incorporation of CR into the soil significantly increased hot water extractable B to as high as 32.4, 26.3 and 43.6% more than the untreated soil samples while it significantly decreased B content in cotton leaves by 17.1, 20.9 and 12.2% in samples collected at peak bloom of the 1st season, peak bloom and 50% open boll of the 2nd season, respectively. With the application of 2 kg B fed-1, there were 38.1 and 57.7% increases in B contents of leaves sampled at peak bloom and 50% open boll growth stages, respectively, over control.

Boron deficiency is expected to occur on Cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown on clay soil received high rate of P fertilizer and amended with crop residues (CR). This work aims to explore the response of cotton plants grown on such soil to B side- dressing. Two rates of B (0 and 2 kg B fed-1 as boric acid), four rates of P fertilizer (0, 100, 300 and 500 kg superphosphate fed-1) and two levels of CR were tested in an experiment carried out at the Experimental Farm of Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. Heavy application of superphosphate (500 kg SP fed-1) resulted in increasing hot water extractable B from 1.88 to 2.05 and from 2.68 to 3.01 ppm in soil samples collected at peak bloom of two growth seasons. Incorporation of CR into the soil significantly increased hot water extractable B to as high as 32.4, 26.3 and 43.6% more than the untreated soil samples while it significantly decreased B content in cotton leaves by 17.1, 20.9 and 12.2% in samples collected at peak bloom of the 1st season, peak bloom and 50% open boll of the 2nd season, respectively. With the application of 2 kg B fed-1, there were 38.1 and 57.7% increases in B contents of leaves sampled at peak bloom and 50% open boll growth stages, respectively, over control.

Boron deficiency is expected to occur on Cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown on clay soil received high rate of P fertilizer and amended with crop residues (CR). This work aims to explore the response of cotton plants grown on such soil to B side- dressing. Two rates of B (0 and 2 kg B fed-1 as boric acid), four rates of P fertilizer (0, 100, 300 and 500 kg superphosphate fed-1) and two levels of CR were tested in an experiment carried out at the Experimental Farm of Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. Heavy application of superphosphate (500 kg SP fed-1) resulted in increasing hot water extractable B from 1.88 to 2.05 and from 2.68 to 3.01 ppm in soil samples collected at peak bloom of two growth seasons. Incorporation of CR into the soil significantly increased hot water extractable B to as high as 32.4, 26.3 and 43.6% more than the untreated soil samples while it significantly decreased B content in cotton leaves by 17.1, 20.9 and 12.2% in samples collected at peak bloom of the 1st season, peak bloom and 50% open boll of the 2nd season, respectively. With the application of 2 kg B fed-1, there were 38.1 and 57.7% increases in B contents of leaves sampled at peak bloom and 50% open boll growth stages, respectively, over control.

Pot experiments were performed in the North Carolina State University greenhouse using Phosphogypsum/clay tailing from the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS) phosphate mine site which contained about 2:1 Zn:Cd ratio. In the first season, lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa var. Parris Island) were grown on the PCS soil with increased Zn content (2:1, 5:1, 25:1, 50:1, 75:1, 100:1, 125:1, 150:1 and 200:1 Zn:Cd ratio) and with four levels of rock phosphate (0.5%, 1%, 2.5% and 5%). The residual effect of these treatments were determined by growing swiss chard plants (Beta vulgaris var. Lucullus) on the same treated soils. Five Zn:Cd ratios (2:1, 25:1, 100:1, 150:1 and 200:1) were used with the application of 1or 3% of composted leaves to determine the effect of organic material along with Zn applications on swiss chard uptake of Cd. The obtained results indicated that Cd concentration in lettuce plants was significantly and gradually decreased from 69.95 ppm to 29.64 ppm in the plants grown on the original PCS soil and the soil treated with 50:1 Zn:Cd ratios, respectively. Whereas the decrease of Cd concentrations in swiss chard plants was from 40.41 ppm to 32.11 ppm in plants grown on the original PCS soil and the soil with 25:1 Zn:Cd ratio, respectively. Compared with the original PCS soil, the application of 5% rock phosphate significantly decreased Cd uptake from 19.00 ppm to 12.59 ppm and from 35.17 ppm to 28.19 ppm in Lettuce and Swiss Chard plants, respectively. The application of 3% composted leaves generally decreased the amounts of Cd uptake by swiss chard plants. The goal of this study was to decrease the plant uptake of Cd by increasing Zn content with and without the application of organic material and also by rock phosphate application.

F.verticilliodes (Sacc) Nirenberg (G) is the major pathogen of maize worldwide causing seedling, stalk and ear rots. Five isolates of F.verticilliodes have ability to infect maize Pioneer cultivar plants. The isolates varied in their infectivity, F.verticilliodes isolate 3 gave the highest stalk rot severity in both 2008 and 2009 growing seasons, followed by isolate 4, while isolate 5 was the lowest pathogenic one. In vitro, the microelements [Zinc (Zn, manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu)] reduced linear growth of the pathogen. Manganese exhibited the highest toxic effect followed by zinc while copper exhibited the lowest toxic effect. The antagonistic effects of 3 P. fluresences isolates on mycelial growth on F.verticilliodes were in the range of 55.14 to 79.82%, P. fluresencesisolate (Pf2) considerably more antagonistic than other isolates. Under greenhouse conditions, treatment of maize plants with microelements decreased significantly disease severity. Manganese treatment was more effective than copper and zinc treatments. The bio control with P. fluresences isolate (Pf2) provided moderate level of protection when used alone, while combination of Pf2 with microelements treatment significantly improved the biocontrol activity and significantly reduced disease severity compared with microelements alone. Microelements content increased with P. fluresences treatment comparing with control treatment.

F.verticilliodes (Sacc) Nirenberg (G) is the major pathogen of maize worldwide causing seedling, stalk and ear rots. Five isolates of F.verticilliodes have ability to infect maize Pioneer cultivar plants. The isolates varied in their infectivity, F.verticilliodes isolate 3 gave the highest stalk rot severity in both 2008 and 2009 growing seasons, followed by isolate 4, while isolate 5 was the lowest pathogenic one. In vitro, the microelements [Zinc (Zn, manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu)] reduced linear growth of the pathogen. Manganese exhibited the highest toxic effect followed by zinc while copper exhibited the lowest toxic effect. The antagonistic effects of 3 P. fluresences isolates on mycelial growth on F.verticilliodes were in the range of 55.14 to 79.82%, P. fluresencesisolate (Pf2) considerably more antagonistic than other isolates. Under greenhouse conditions, treatment of maize plants with microelements decreased significantly disease severity. Manganese treatment was more effective than copper and zinc treatments. The bio control with P. fluresences isolate (Pf2) provided moderate level of protection when used alone, while combination of Pf2 with microelements treatment significantly improved the biocontrol activity and significantly reduced disease severity compared with microelements alone. Microelements content increased with P. fluresences treatment comparing with control treatment.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown in clay soil received high rate of P fertilizer and amended with crop residues (CR) is expected to suffer from B deficiency. The aim of this work is to explore the response of cotton plants grown in such soil to foliar application of B. Three rates of B foliar application (0, 0.12 and 0.24 kg B fed-1 as boric acid), four rates of P fertilizer (0, 100, 300 and 500 kg superphosphate (SP) fed-1, and two levels of crop residues (CR) were tested in an experiment carried out at the Experimental Farm of Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt, during two successive growth seasons of 2004 and 2005. Incorporation of CR in soil enhanced the effect of P fertilization on increasing Olsen’ P in all P treatments. Phosphorus increased the B availability in soil. In contrary with the low rate of P fertilization (100 kg SP fed-1) the higher rate of SP (500 kg SP fed-1) significantly increases the amounts of extractable B in soil. The application of CR changed the effect of P application on available B to be significantly synergistic in all samples and with all P fertilization rates. Releasing B into soil during the decomposition of CR could be a good explanation for these results. The analyses of cotton leaves shows that application of P fertilizers alone or combined with CR resulted in decreasing B content significantly in cotton leaves. The results indicated that in spite of the effect of CR on increasing B availability in soil, CR either alone or combined with P fertilization decreased B content in cotton leaves. Foliar application of B at rate of 0.12 kg Bfed-1 overcome the adverse effects of P fertilization and resulted in increasing the number of opened bolls and the boll weights, and thus increased the seed cotton yield 12.2% over control. Spraying of B at rate of 0.12 kg B fed-1 increases the seed cotton yield 14.2 and 10.4% over control without or with CR incorporation, respectively.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown in clay soil received high rate of P fertilizer and amended with crop residues (CR) is expected to suffer from B deficiency. The aim of this work is to explore the response of cotton plants grown in such soil to foliar application of B. Three rates of B foliar application (0, 0.12 and 0.24 kg B fed-1 as boric acid), four rates of P fertilizer (0, 100, 300 and 500 kg superphosphate (SP) fed-1, and two levels of crop residues (CR) were tested in an experiment carried out at the Experimental Farm of Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt, during two successive growth seasons of 2004 and 2005. Incorporation of CR in soil enhanced the effect of P fertilization on increasing Olsen’ P in all P treatments. Phosphorus increased the B availability in soil. In contrary with the low rate of P fertilization (100 kg SP fed-1) the higher rate of SP (500 kg SP fed-1) significantly increases the amounts of extractable B in soil. The application of CR changed the effect of P application on available B to be significantly synergistic in all samples and with all P fertilization rates. Releasing B into soil during the decomposition of CR could be a good explanation for these results. The analyses of cotton leaves shows that application of P fertilizers alone or combined with CR resulted in decreasing B content significantly in cotton leaves. The results indicated that in spite of the effect of CR on increasing B availability in soil, CR either alone or combined with P fertilization decreased B content in cotton leaves. Foliar application of B at rate of 0.12 kg Bfed-1 overcome the adverse effects of P fertilization and resulted in increasing the number of opened bolls and the boll weights, and thus increased the seed cotton yield 12.2% over control. Spraying of B at rate of 0.12 kg B fed-1 increases the seed cotton yield 14.2 and 10.4% over control without or with CR incorporation, respectively.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown in clay soil received high rate of P fertilizer and amended with crop residues (CR) is expected to suffer from B deficiency. The aim of this work is to explore the response of cotton plants grown in such soil to foliar application of B. Three rates of B foliar application (0, 0.12 and 0.24 kg B fed-1 as boric acid), four rates of P fertilizer (0, 100, 300 and 500 kg superphosphate (SP) fed-1, and two levels of crop residues (CR) were tested in an experiment carried out at the Experimental Farm of Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt, during two successive growth seasons of 2004 and 2005. Incorporation of CR in soil enhanced the effect of P fertilization on increasing Olsen’ P in all P treatments. Phosphorus increased the B availability in soil. In contrary with the low rate of P fertilization (100 kg SP fed-1) the higher rate of SP (500 kg SP fed-1) significantly increases the amounts of extractable B in soil. The application of CR changed the effect of P application on available B to be significantly synergistic in all samples and with all P fertilization rates. Releasing B into soil during the decomposition of CR could be a good explanation for these results. The analyses of cotton leaves shows that application of P fertilizers alone or combined with CR resulted in decreasing B content significantly in cotton leaves. The results indicated that in spite of the effect of CR on increasing B availability in soil, CR either alone or combined with P fertilization decreased B content in cotton leaves. Foliar application of B at rate of 0.12 kg Bfed-1 overcome the adverse effects of P fertilization and resulted in increasing the number of opened bolls and the boll weights, and thus increased the seed cotton yield 12.2% over control. Spraying of B at rate of 0.12 kg B fed-1 increases the seed cotton yield 14.2 and 10.4% over control without or with CR incorporation, respectively.