Fathia Elkhawaga

Dr. Fathia Elkhawaga


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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13 February 2024 in Horticulturae
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ASAhmad Aly Suliman
Ahmad Aly Suliman
FEFathia Elkhawaga
Fathia Elkhawaga
Meisam ZargarMeisam Zargar
Meisam Zargar
MBMaryam Bayat
Maryam Bayat
EPElena Pakina
Elena Pakina
MAMostafa Mahmoud Abdelkader
Mostafa Mahmoud Abdelkader
Heat stress is one of the most critical environmental abiotic stresses that can negatively affect plant growth. This article investigates the role of a plant growth promoter (Benzylaminopurine) in tomato fields in regard to its ability to withstand high-temperature conditions resulting from greenhouse gas emissions and climate changes. Three genetically different tomato cultivars (Castlerock, GS 12-F1, and Fayrouz F1) were sprayed with 2% 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) at 300 and 600 ppm; then, growth and yield components, physio-biochemical characteristics, and antioxidant enzyme activities were determined. The results showed that the highest BAP concentration (600 ppm) enhanced the ability of tomato plants to withstand high temperatures and the maximum dose of BAP improved chlorophyll (71.7 spad units) in GS 12 leaves, while the same dose enhanced proline contents (24.91 mg/100g FW), total antioxidants (83.35 µmol Trolox/g dw), total phenolics (20.99 mg/g dw), Superoxide dismutase (33.74 U/g), peroxidase (46.30 U/g), and polyphenol oxidase (64.10 U/g) in Fayrouz F1 leaves. Application BAP on tomatoes moderately improved fruit quality, such as ascorbic acid and maturity degree, while BAP applications reduced TSS and acidity. In this investigation, taste index was not affected by Benzylaminopurine application but by tomato genotype. The highest number of fruits/plant (45.7), fruit yield/plant (3.98 kg), and total yield (103 tons/ha) were obtained from the GS 12 genotype.

17 June 2024 in Horticulturae
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MAMostafa Mahmoud Abdelkader
Mostafa Mahmoud Abdelkader
FEFathia Elkhawaga
Fathia Elkhawaga
ASAhmad Aly Suliman
Ahmad Aly Suliman
MPMikhail Puchkov
Mikhail Puchkov
KKKristina Nikolaevna Kuranova
Kristina Nikolaevna Kuranova
MAMohamed Farouk AbdElkader
Mohamed Farouk AbdElkader
Blossom-end rot (BER) is a physiological disorder caused by calcium deficiency, often paired with moisture stress and irregular traditional watering practices. To understand the biological mechanism affecting the incidence of BER, different tomato genotypes were cultivated in sandy soil and were traditionally irrigated. Nine tomato genotypes were investigated to assess their susceptibility to BER, and the incidence rate varied from 7.1% in “Voskhod” to 57.6% in “Majnat” genotypes. This study also comprehensively analyzed various physiological and biochemical parameters to elucidate their correlation with BER incidence in tomato plants. Our findings revealed a range of parameters positively correlated with BER incidence, including the relative water content of roots, the number of fruits per plant, vitamin C content, and potassium content. Parameters related to fruit quality, such as titratable acidity, peroxidase content, and firmness degree, also showed positive correlations with BER incidence. Conversely, parameters such as total yield per hectare, chlorophyll content, average plant height, and calcium content demonstrated strong negative correlations with BER incidence, suggesting potential protective effects against this disorder. This study highlights that genotypes with higher marketable yields, such as ‘Voskhod’ (65 tons/ha), showed lower BER incidence, underscoring the importance of selecting the appropriate genotype in improving yield and reducing blossom-end rot in tomato fields. Conversely, cultivars with high BER sensitivity, such as ‘Chelnok’ (26.3 tons/ha), require specially designed cultivation management to avoid production declines.