A field experiment was carried out during the two consecutive winter seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 in the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University, Egypt. The objective of study was to evaluate the response of five garlic genotypes, (Egaseed1, Sids40, Clone 3, Clone 4 and Clone 5) to the foliar application of chitosan (0 , 1.5 , 2 and 2.5 cm/L).
The results showed that the highest leave number was obtained by Clone 4 and Clone 5 in both seasons respectively. Whereas the highest leave number was obtained by control and 1.5 cm/L respectively. Through highest plant was Clone 3, Clone 5 respectively. While the highest plants were obtained by 1.5 cm/L. The highest fresh and cured yield ton / fed were obtained by Clone 4 and Clone 5 in both seasons respectively. While the highest fresh and cured yield ton / fed were obtained by 2 cm/L and control respectively. Meanwhile the highest Garlic bulb diameter after curing was obtained by Clone 5 and sids40 in both seasons respectively. While the highest Garlic bulb diameter after curing was obtained by 2cm/L. Meantime highest Average clove weight after curing was obtained by Clone 3 and sids40 respectively. While highest Average clove weight after curing was obtained by 2 cm/L and control respectively. Meanwhile highest T.S.S after curing was Egaseed1, Clone 4 respectively. While the highest T.S.S after curing was obtained by 2.5 cm/L respectively. Meanwhile lowest Weight loss percentage after curing was sids40, Clone 5 respectively. While the lowest Weight loss percentage after curing was obtained by 2cm/L and 2.5 cm/L respectively.

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of two seedling dates
and foliar application of Algae extract, Moringa extract, fulvic acid and Mepiquat
chloride on some growth and fruit productivity of cucumber plants (Cucumis
sativus L.) cv. barracuda at private farm in "Awlad Al-Sharif" village in Dirout
city, Assiut Governorate, Egypt. Two experiments were conducted during the
successive seasons of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 inside greenhouses. Spraying
cucumber plants was done with two concentrations three weeks after seedling two
times at 15 day intervals each. The experiment was laid out in Randomized
Complete Block Design (RCBD) with a split-plot arrangement in three
replications. Seedling dates were assigned in the main plot and foliar application
(with two concentrations) was arranged in sub-plot.

Results indicate that planting cucumber seedlings early in November under
protected agricultural systems leads to significant effect on all traits under the
study except fruit length and fruit diameter compared to the second seeding date,
respectively. All foliar application treatments and their interactions gave highly
response in all traits especially the high concentration of algae (3 g/m3) and fulvic
(3 g/m3) compared with other treatments.

Recycling slaughterhouse waste such as bone and converting it into bone char is a promising environmentally friendly, lowcost strategy in a circular economy and an important source of phosphorus. Therefore, this review focused on the impacts of bone char on the availability, dynamics, and transformations of phosphorus in soils as well as plant growth and utilizing bone char in remediating contaminated soils by heavy metals. Bone char is material produced through bone pyrolysis under limited oxygen at 300–1050 °C. Bone char applications to the soils significantly increased phosphorus availability and plant growth. Agricultural practices such as co-applying organic acids or sulfur or nitrogen fertilizers with bone char in some soils played an important role in enhanced phosphorus availability. Also, co-applying bone char with phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms enhanced plant growth and phosphorus availability in the soils. Applying bone char to the soils changed the dynamics and redistribution of phosphorous fractions, enhanced fertility, promoted crop growth and productivity, reduced heavy metals uptake by plants in contaminated soil, and decreased heavy metals bioavailability. Bone char has shown positive performance in remediating soils contaminated by heavy metals. Bone char proved its efficiency in sustainable agriculture and practical applications as an alternative source of phosphate fertilizers, it is safe, cheap and helps in remediating contaminated soils by heavy metals. Using bone char as a slow-release fertilizer is potentially beneficial because it reduces the hazard of excessive fertilizing and nutrient leaching which have negative impacts on the ecosystem.
 

Boron nanoparticles (BNs) have been used to enhance the quality of pomegranate fruits, but high sodium (Na + ) concentrations in the plant tissues cause oxidative stress and lessen the impact of BNs. The current study aims to study the mechanism of reducing Na + uptake by pomegranate trees through adding biochar rich in macronutrients (MNB) such as potassium (K) and calcium (Ca), which makes BNs spraying more effective in improving the fruit quality. Pomegranate trees planted in a sandy soil and irrigated with saline water (6.18 dS m 1 uptake sprayed with BNs (0, 25, 50, 100 mg L 1 ). MNB was added to the soil at the doses of 0 or 5 kg tree 1 ) were . A two- season field experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with five replications. In comparison to the control, MNB resulted in a 14 and 17% increase in soil organic carbon and CEC, respectively. MNB increased the soil’s available N, P, Ca, and K by 25, 23, 20, and 20%, and increased the uptake of these nutrients by 20, 40, 11, and 19% as compared with the control treatment. MNB and BNs significantly increased the fruit yield and quality compared to the control. MNB significantly increased the K + /Na and 59%, respectively, while significantly reducing the leaf-Na + + and Ca ++ /Na + ratios by 69 by 30%. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were mitigated by MNB, which also strengthened antioxidant defences and increased the plant’s ability to produce chlorophyll. The foliar spray of BNs significantly increased the leaf-chlorophyll, soluble carbohydrates, relative water content, and proline in pomegranate plants. BNs and MNB significantly reduced the fruit cracking, and improved the quality characteristics, i.e., vitamin C, anthocyanin, and total sugar. The efficiency of BNs in decreasing the negative effects of salt stress on pomegranate productivity was improved by the soil application of MNB. The use of foliar spraying with BNs alone is not advised; instead, an integrated parenteral management strategy that relies on the addition of organic amendments, such as macronutrient-rich biochar, to the arid degraded soils, is required, especially under saline conditions.   

Banana is one of the plants with low salt tolerance and raising its ability to withstand salt stress contributes to increasing its production. Silicon (Si) is one of the important elements in increasing the salt stress resistance in plants. Therefore, Si-rich biochar has been suggested to improve the salt resistance of Williams (WL) and Grand Nain (GN) banana cultivars. Water salinity (tap water, 2, 4, and 6 dS m⁻¹) and Si-rich biochar with low (LSiB) or high rate (HSiB) in a pot experiment were studied. Si-rich biochar significantly mitigated the salt stress and improved the growth of WL and GN banana cultivars. Si-rich biochar was effective in enhancing chlorophyll, carotenoids, calcium (Ca⁺⁺) and potassium (K⁺) in banana leaves. HSiB was more effective than LSiB in mitigating the accumulation of sodium (Na⁺) in the plant leaves. HSiB raised the phenolic, carbohydrate, and proline in WL leaf tissues by 35, 49, and 14%, while these increases were 20%, 44%, and 21% in the case of GN cultivar. Banana leaves exposed to salt stress had higher levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), while Si-rich biochar reduced those levels. Antioxidant enzymes activity were raised by salt stress, and HSiB performed better than LSiB at boosting antioxidant enzyme activity. The production of osmo-protectants such as phenols, carbohydras, and proline were higher in the banana plants treated with HSiB compared to LSiB ones. Si-rich biochar mitigated the salt stress by increasing the uptake of Ca and K, improving the antioxidant defense, and enhancing the production of combatable solutes.

Saline agriculture offers promising opportunities for the production of halophytic forage crops under arid and semi-arid climatic conditions. The Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus L.), a halophytic forage plant that can withstand a variety of harsh climatic conditions, is affected by seasonal climate changes in terms of growth and productivity. The objective of the current study is to comprehend how climatic changes affect the Mediterranean saltbush’s growth and productivity in semi-arid environments. Plant samples were collected every 3 months from the Mediterranean saltbush cultivated on saline sandy loam soil (15 dS m⁻¹). Biomass yields, nutritional value, and biochemical components were recorded. The studied plant produced 8.55 Mg ha⁻¹ of dried stems and leaves yearly, with the leaves contributing 31% of the plant’s overall dry yield. The dried stems and leaves yield of the Mediterranean saltbush declined by 50 and 45% in the summer season compared to the spring. The summer leaves of the Mediterranean saltbush had higher concentrations of Na, K, and Cl than the winter leaves. In contrast to chlorophyll concentrations, which increased in the spring and decreased throughout the other growing seasons, proline concentrations in the leaf tissues changed throughout the year in the opposite direction. The Mediterranean saltbush reduced the chlorophyll and relative water content in the summer months and increased the leaf Na, K, Cl, and proline. The Mediterranean saltbush plants regulate the proline levels as well as some ions like Na, K, and Cl to achieve an osmotic adjustment in the leaf’s tissues. The Mediterranean saltbush plants can produce fodder that is high in protein, nutrients, and nutritional value under conditions of extremely salty soil and irrigation water. These results provide a good opportunity to exploit water and saline lands in the production of animal feed, which helps in implementing sustainable development plans in semi-arid regions.

Water scarcity imposes significant constraints on fruit production, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Deficit water, as one of the policies used in enhancing water use efficiency, leads to growth reduction and adversely affects the quality of mango fruit yield. The current study aims to investigate the role of Azolla as a biofertilizer in mitigating the negative effects of water stress on mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Eiwas). A field experiment consisting of 4 different treatments (2 irrigation regimes and 2 Azolla treatments) was conducted in a randomized complete block design with five replicates. Mango trees (12 years old) were irrigated at 80% of the available soil water (normal irrigation) or at 50% of the available soil water (deficit irrigation). Dried Azolla (0 or 5 t ha⁻¹) was added to the soil. Mango tree growth and fruit yield were significantly reduced due to the deficit irrigation. In the first year, deficit irrigation reduced the available soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) by 35, 23, and 20%, respectively, and by 39, 21, and 18% in the second year. The addition of Azolla alleviated water stress and increased nutrient availability and uptake. The addition of Azolla to water-stressed mango plants increased N, P, and K uptake by 25, 25, and 22%, respectively, in the first year and by 33, 22, and 23%, respectively, in the second year. Keeping soil moisture at 50% of the available soil water had a negative impact on mango fruit quality characteristics. Water stress reduced the total soluble solids, total sugar, vitamin C, and pulp by 18, 16, 14, and 8%, respectively (average of 2 years). The addition of Azolla to mango plants under deficit irrigation increased water use efficiency (WUE) by 30 and 27% in the first and second years, respectively, while these increases were 14 and 33% under normal irrigation. The mechanisms employed by Azolla to lessen the detrimental effects of water stress on mango trees in this study include increased leaf area, protection of photosynthesis pigments, and increased secretion of substances that aid in water stress resistance, such as proline. The use of Azolla as a dry manure in arid-degraded soil reduces water stress on mango trees while increasing yield and fruit quality.