The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of silicon (Si) and nano-silicon (NSi) on growth, yield, ions content, and antioxidant defense systems, including transcript levels of enzyme-encoding genes in Pisum sativum plants grown under salinity stress. Both Si and NSi were applied at the 3 mM level and NaCl was applied at 4 concentrations (100, 150, 200 and 250 mM). Vegetative growth, including plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry weights, and yield attributes were determined. Gene expression of antioxidant enzymes was analyzed, and their activities were determined. The results showed that salinity had deleterious effects on plant growth and yield. Salt-stressed plant leaves exhibited a greater activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), but a lower activity of catalase (CAT) when compared to the control. Na⁺ ions accumulated in roots and shoots of salinized plants. The application of Si and NSi significantly enhanced vegetative growth and relative water content (RWC), and caused significant increases in plant height, fresh and dry weight, total yield, and antioxidant defense systems. Si and NSi enhanced K⁺ content in roots and shoots under salinity treatment and decreased Na⁺ content in the studied tissues. It was concluded that the application of NSi was beneficial in improving the salt tolerance of Pisum sativum plants more than Si alone.

Aims The present study evaluated, for the first time, the inhibitory effects of the filtrate of Purpureocillium lilacinum against Penicillium digitatum. Methods and Results No direct contact between P. lilacinum and P. digitatum was observed during the dual culture test and the inhibition zone was 6·1 mm. The filtrate of P. lilacinum completely inhibited P. digitatum growth and spore germination at the concentration of 64%. The filtrate increased the permeability of the cell membrane and the content of MDA in P. digitatum. The ergosterol content in P. digitatum was strongly inhibited at 32% by 81·1%. The green mould incidence and severity in filtrate‐treated fruit at 64% were 71·7 and 80·7% lower than in the control, respectively. The filtrate enhanced the activity of PAL, PPO and POD enzymes in orange fruit. The POD and PAL gene expression levels were significantly upregulated in the fruit treated with the filtrate. Conclusions This study indicated that the antifungal mechanism of P. lilacinum filtrate against P. digitatum is mainly by the damage of the fungal cell membrane and its components. Significance and Impact of the Study This work provides the pioneer evidence on the application of P. lilacinum filtrate as a novel biocontrol agent for orange green mould.

Background: Wheat is the most important crop around the world. Drought stresses affect wheat production and their characterization. Most of the traits that are affected by drought are quantitative traits, so detection of the quantitative trait’s loci (QTLs) related to these traits is very important for breeder and wheat producers. In this trend, 285 F2 individuals from crosses between four bread wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.), i.e., Sakha93, Sids1, Sakha94, and Gemmiza9, were used for identified QTLs associated with plant height (PH) and leaf wilting (LW). Single marker analysis and composite interval mapping (CIM) were used. Results: A total of 116 QTLs loci were detected which covered 19 chromosomes out of the 21 chromosomes of wheat. PH and LW had 74 and 42 QTLs loci, respectively. On the other hand, chromosome 7A showed to bear the highest number of QTLs loci (15 loci). While chromosome 1A beard the highest number of QTLs loci related to PH (10 loci), chromosome 2B and 7A beard the highest number of QTLs related LW. We highly recommend our finding to help breeders in wheat breeding programs to improve plant height and leaf wilting. Conclusion: Our investigation concluded that SSR markers have high efficiency in the identification of QTLs related to abiotic stress; also the CIM method had more advanced priority for QTLs mapping.

The aims of our study were to molecularly assess some seedy strains of Alamar Apricot Rootstock using SCoT and ISSR techniques. In addition, assessment of the expression of P5CS gene with assay of some stress-related phytochemical parameters under salinity stress. These strains were irrigated with salt solution for 6 months from June 2016, only eight strains continued to grow under salinity stress. ISSR and SCoT techniques revealed polymorphic patterns and confirmed to be valid in discriminating these eight strains. SCoT technique was better than ISSRs in assessment for molecular diversity and discrimination capacity for all studied seedy strains. However, a significant positive correlation was found only between distances based on ISSR data and Euclidian distances based on stress-related phytochemical parameters data. These strains showed higher values than control for the studied parameters, specially A3 being the best strain in all parameters, in addition to showing a significantly increase in P5CS gene expression compared to control. Also, A3 was distinguished by a few ISSR unique markers. This, suggesting that, these markers may be used as markers assisted selection in the improvement of salinity tolerance. In addition, the possibility of utilizing this strain through other studies as a source of salinity tolerance in Alamar apricot rootstock.

Five tomato inbred lines (Solanum lycopersicum L.,) obtained from five widespread varieties in Egypt were used in this study to assess genetic diversity among them. Seven RAPD and six ISSR primers were succeeded in generating reproducible and reliable amplicons. Although, the RAPD technique was better than ISSR technique in assessment for molecular diversity and discrimination capacity among lines. The Rp value for RAPD technique was 13.7 which was higher than 8.1 of ISSR technique. However, both techniques were suitable tools for detecting reproducible polymorphic patterns and confirmed to be valid in discrimination among lines through the various specific markers of 27 and 18 markers in RAPD and ISSRs, respectively. These markers succeeded in distinguishing each lines and divided them into three groups in cluster analysis with different degrees of MD which ranged from 0.198 to 0.441 with a mean of 0.343. Moreover, 22 various traits estimated for all lines under two different climatic seasons of the summer season of 2014 and the winter season 2015 also which succeeded in description of phenotypic diversity and heterogeneity within lines which divided accordingly into two main groups with different degrees of PD ranged from 0.081 to 0.428 with mean of 0.236. However, insignificant correlations were found among the distances computed based on these two types of genetic diversity as well as, the correlation relationships among these distances and heterosis for most studied traits were not significant. This requires evaluating genetic diversity for lines which are used as parents in breeding improvement programs of tomato at more than location and under different climatic conditions. Also, through a more number of variable molecular markers and also depending on a more number of phenotypic traits. Hence, achieving the desired goal from this evaluation, which is the prediction of heterosis for all important traits and which will lead to provision of strenuous efforts to assess hybrids in most breeding programs.

This study was carried out to evaluate the impacts of inclusion of two plant proteins (soybean meal or rocket meal) in the starter and growing –finishing diets fed with / without nano-chitosan for 500 one-day old broiler chicks on growth performance and serum parameters as well as expression patterns of target genes (PPARα,PPARγ and IGF-1) in liver tissue. A total of 220 chicks were randomly distributed into four treatment (five replications, each), and housed in a floor pen under hygienic conditions. The results indicated that birds fed 7.5% rocket seed meal (RSM) exhibited the best means of FBW, BWG and FCR. While, least feed intake with higher FBW and BWG was found in nano-chitosan fed birds. RSM fed chicks had a significant decrease in serum levels of TG, LDL, total lipids, AST and ALT with insignificant changes in serum albumin, total Cholesterol and HDL compared with the control group. Furthermore, significant increases in serum levels of IgG, IgM, IgA, CAT, TAC, SOD, T3, T4 and FSH were found in RSM fed birds as compared to the control group. Insignificant differences were noted in the fold changes of gene expression among the different experimental groups of chicks with regard toIGF-I and PPARα genes, but the RSM-diet insignificantly increased in the transcript level of the IGF-I gene and improved the IGF-1 gene expression. Our findings declared that RSM can be used in chicks diet up to 7.5 % singly or in combination with nano-chitosan without any adverse effect on performance, blood parameters and related gene expression in broiler chicks.