Selenium (Se) has been recently reported to play a crucial role in ameliorating the negative impact of abiotic stress, including salinity, on several plant species. Two field experiments (2016/17 and 2017/18) were carried out to investigate the possible effect of exogenous Se application at two levels (25, 50 mg L⁻¹) on growth, bulb yield, physio-biochemical attributes, and antioxidant activities of onion grown under saline (5.25 dS m⁻¹) soil condition. Se (25 or 50 mg L⁻¹) foliar application enhanced growth characteristics, as well as membrane stability index (MSI) and relative water content (RWC) as a result of the osmotic adjustment by accumulating more osmoprotectants and enhancing the activity of antioxidants defense system, thus improving photosynthetic efficiency and bulb yield. Proline, glycine betaine, choline, and total soluble sugars content were higher in leaves and bulbs of Se-treated plants under salt stress. Se (25 or 50 mg L⁻¹) significantly increased the activities of enzymatic (ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) and non-enzymatic (ascorbic acid and glutathione) antioxidants in both leaves and bulbs of salt-stressed onion. Se application at 25–50 mg L⁻¹ may find, in the future, a potential application as anti-abiotic stresses for improving plant growth and productivity under saline soil condition.

THIS RESEARCH study addresses a problem of soil pollution caused by heavy metals. One hundred twelve soil samples were taken from fitly six locations to represent Sinnours lands using the grid system at two kms distance to assess and distribute of cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) in soils of Sinnours district, Fayoum Governorate, Egypt The geographic information system techniques were applied to map the spatial distribution of three heavy metals. The results obtained showed that the overall mean of each of Cd and Pb concentrations were higher within the surface (0 - 30 cm) of soils than the subsurface (30 - 60 cm) layer, indicating that Cd and Pb pollution of soil surface. In general, the concentrations of nickel (Ni) have been higher in the lower than the top soil layer indicating Ni normal soil contamination. The maps generated through Geographical Information systems (GIS) are beneficial for decision makers for land use planning, conservation and evaluating the level of environmental pollution with hazardous metals. The authors emphasize the actual absence of Egypt to develop detailed standards for the assessment of soil pollution with heavy metals primarily based on the nature and properties of the Egyptian soils.

Reference to the rapid increase in the population of Egypt, the agricultural policy in Egypt aims to increase the productivity of edible oils to compensate the shortage in locally produced oils from field crops, and to meet the increasing demand for these oils as one of the important foods for humans, and given that agricultural mechanization contributes well to reducing the time needed to perform agricultural operations, as well as obtaining higher productivity at lower cost, so this research was concerned with trying to reach the optimum conditions for soybean production under the conditions of Fayoum Governorate. The results showed that the suitable agricultural practices for soybean production were: plowing depth of 25 cm, planting distances of 70 cm x 20 cm, and irrigation period of 18 days, where productivity reached 1,829 ton fed-1. power requirements were 87.78 kW.h ton, and costs amounted to 3,326 pounds ton-1, and an energy cost of 37.90 pounds kW.h-1.