The development of large-scale farming has encouraged the adoption of mechanical transplanting techniques for rice production. However, the increased farming operation times that often occur under large-scale farming conditions necessitate shortening the duration of rice growth, especially that of late-season rice; therefore, rice cultivars with short growth durations are popular under such conditions. A field experiment using two short-duration rice cultivars (SRCs), i.e., Jiuliangyou 3 and Shengyou 9520, and two long-duration rice cultivars (LRCs), i.e., Shengyou 957 and Tianyouhuazhan, was conducted in the late season in Yongan and Santang, Hunan Province, China in 2017 and 2018. The grain yield and yield attributes were compared between the SRCs and LRCs, showing that the SRCs, which exhibited an 11–12-day shorter growth period, revealed similar grain yield to the LRCs. The SRCs also exhibited a 10%–31% higher spikelet filling rate and a 13% higher harvest index than the LRCs. Moreover, the biomass accumulation, crop growth rate, and apparent radiation use efficiency of the SRCs were significantly higher than those of the LRCs during the post-heading phase. Our results indicate that the higher spikelet filling rate, the harvest index, and the apparent radiation use efficiency of the post-heading period were the underlying factors for the SRCs’ grain yield.

Peat is considered the conventional growing medium in most soilless culture systems. The high cost of peat and the urgent need of agricultural wastes recycling encouraged the scientists and soilless culture users to search for an alternative growth medium where optimal growth conditions are achieved and help in the safe disposal of wastes. In the current study, peanut shell (PS) and corn wastes (CW) were used as growing media in comparison to peat moss (PM). The tested organic wastes and peat moss were examined with sand at three mixing ratios (1:1 “M1”, 1:2 “M2” and 1:3 “M3” raw material: washed sand, respectively). Red radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus) plant were cultivated in 5 kg pots filled with the instigated growing media. Most of the recoded growth parameters were found in PS and PM growing media, while the lowest ones were found in CW. PS medium contained available N and P higher by 141 and 29% above the PM media. Although the peat moss gave the highest values in the measured growth characteristics, its high price decreased the net profit. The highest net profit value was obtained from PSM2 followed by PSM1 and PSM3. According to the obtained results, the characteristics of the growth media derived from peanut shell qualify them for use in the production of red radish in soilless culture systems.

Peat is considered the conventional growing medium in most soilless culture systems. The high cost of peat and the urgent need of agricultural wastes recycling encouraged the scientists and soilless culture users to search for an alternative growth medium where optimal growth conditions are achieved and help in the safe disposal of wastes. In the current study, peanut shell (PS) and corn wastes (CW) were used as growing media in comparison to peat moss (PM). The tested organic wastes and peat moss were examined with sand at three mixing ratios (1:1 “M1”, 1:2 “M2” and 1:3 “M3” raw material: washed sand, respectively). Red radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus) plant were cultivated in 5 kg pots filled with the instigated growing media. Most of the recoded growth parameters were found in PS and PM growing media, while the lowest ones were found in CW. PS medium contained available N and P higher by 141 and 29% above the PM media. Although the peat moss gave the highest values in the measured growth characteristics, its high price decreased the net profit. The highest net profit value was obtained from PSM2 followed by PSM1 and PSM3. According to the obtained results, the characteristics of the growth media derived from peanut shell qualify them for use in the production of red radish in soilless culture systems.

Peat is considered the conventional growing medium in most soilless culture systems. The high cost of peat and the urgent need of agricultural wastes recycling encouraged the scientists and soilless culture users to search for an alternative growth medium where optimal growth conditions are achieved and help in the safe disposal of wastes. In the current study, peanut shell (PS) and corn wastes (CW) were used as growing media in comparison to peat moss (PM). The tested organic wastes and peat moss were examined with sand at three mixing ratios (1:1 “M1”, 1:2 “M2” and 1:3 “M3” raw material: washed sand, respectively). Red radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus) plant were cultivated in 5 kg pots filled with the instigated growing media. Most of the recoded growth parameters were found in PS and PM growing media, while the lowest ones were found in CW. PS medium contained available N and P higher by 141 and 29% above the PM media. Although the peat moss gave the highest values in the measured growth characteristics, its high price decreased the net profit. The highest net profit value was obtained from PSM2 followed by PSM1 and PSM3. According to the obtained results, the characteristics of the growth media derived from peanut shell qualify them for use in the production of red radish in soilless culture systems.

During 2010, soybean (Glycine max Cl. Merr.), exhibited symptoms of web blight on the leaves of the grown plants (Fig. 1) in fields at Upper Egypt (Assiut Governorate). Seven isolates of Rhizoctonia solani were isolated from the leaves and leaf petioles of diseased soybean plants and tested for their pathogenicity on cv. Giza 22 by artificial inoculation. Results revealed that only two isolates caused web blight. These isolates were identified, according to their morphological and cultural characteristics, as R. solani AG-1 (IA). This is the first record of Rhizoctonia web blight disease on soybean in Egypt. Keywords: Rhizoctonia solani, soybean and web blight. Fig. 1. Symptoms of web blight on the leaves of soybean plants.

During 2010, soybean (Glycine max Cl. Merr.), exhibited symptoms of web blight on the leaves of the grown plants (Fig. 1) in fields at Upper Egypt (Assiut Governorate). Seven isolates of Rhizoctonia solani were isolated from the leaves and leaf petioles of diseased soybean plants and tested for their pathogenicity on cv. Giza 22 by artificial inoculation. Results revealed that only two isolates caused web blight. These isolates were identified, according to their morphological and cultural characteristics, as R. solani AG-1 (IA). This is the first record of Rhizoctonia web blight disease on soybean in Egypt. Keywords: Rhizoctonia solani, soybean and web blight. Fig. 1. Symptoms of web blight on the leaves of soybean plants.

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Naked barley grains were germinated at 25 °C for 12, 24, and 36 h, followed by infrared or hot air drying. Effects of germination and drying treatments on the composition and content of phenolic compounds in naked barley were investigated using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The results revealed that germination of naked barley induced significant changes in the profile of phenolic compounds depending on germination period. Also, the content of phenolic compounds significantly increased (P  0.05) as the germination prolonged to up to 36 h. Furthermore, significantly greater retention of phenolic compounds was found after the infrared drying of germinated naked barley than that found after hot air drying. Phenolic compounds of the raw and germinated/dried naked barley samples could be differentiated independently by partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA). The obtained results suggest that germination and infrared drying are promising processing methods for producing germinated naked barley rich in flavonoids with potential health benefits.

Effects of repeated annealing treatments (8 cycles, 12 h each) or continuous annealing treatments (12–96 h) at 50 °C on structural, physicochemical, and digestive properties of normal and waxy wheat starches were investigated. Wheat starches retained the original crystalline structure of A-type after annealing. Annealing treatments increased crystallinity, short chain of amylopectin, viscosity, and gelatinization temperatures of starch. However, molecular weight, long chain of amylopectin, solubility, and swelling power of starch decreased after annealing. Additionally, annealing reduced the in vitro digestibility of wheat starches. The changes in properties of starch varied depending on starch type, normal or waxy, and annealing methods, repeated or continuous. The repeated annealing was found to be more effective in modification of normal wheat starch properties. However, continuous annealing efficiently modified properties of the waxy wheat starch. The obtained results may help in choosing appropriate applications of annealed wheat starches in the food industry.