The presented study transpired in 2015–2016 in the Wasit Province, Iraq, to investigate the allelopathic impact of two sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivars, namely, Asgaro and Flamme, on weed suppression. The study found that sunflower cultivars significantly reduced the number and biomass of companion weeds in sunflower fields, with a varying reduction depending on the cultivar genotype. The cultivar Asgaro exhibited the most pronounced allelopathic effects, resulting in a 68.6% reduction in total weed numbers and a 61.0% reduction in weed biomass compared with the control (no sunflower). However, the genotype Flamme had the minimum allelopathic effects. Specifically, genotype Flamme reduced weed population by 24% and weed biomass by 35.4% compared with the control. More analysis revealed that the root exudates of the Asgaro genotype were more efficient in suppressing weeds than the Flamme genotype. Substance analysis demonstrated that the Asgaro genotype had a significantly higher amount (0.403 mg/g) than the Flamme genotype (0.220 mg/g) of specific compounds and phenols. The study found that aggregate phenolic levels increased after 28 days, then declined by the end of the season, with chromogenic tests revealing several allelochemicals in the root exudates.

Keywords: Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), cultivars, allelopathic effect, phenolic compounds, weed flora and biomass

Key findings: Sunflower cultivars with allelopathic potential have significantly reduced the total population and biomass of companion weeds in the sunflower fields. However, the extent of reduction varied, depending on the genotype of the sunflower cultivar. This action refers to having different allelochemical compounds affecting weeds.

This study proceeded in the spring of 2022 to assess the efficiency of Metribuzin herbicide alone and combined with some agricultural methods, such as mulching and hoeing, to control potato weeds. The effect of Metribuzin at a rate of 400 g ha^-1 with mulching reduced the total weed density to 19.0 plants m^-2, similar to Metribuzin at a rate of 800 g ha^-1 (16.0 plants m^-2). The efficiency of Metribuzin herbicide at 400 g ha^-1 combined with one or two hoeings reduced the number of weed densities by 19.3 and 10.6 plants m^-2 for one hoeing and two hoeings, respectively. The effect positively manifested in plant heights, the number of leaves, the foliage dry weight, and its reflection on the potato yield weight.

Keywords: Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), Solanaceae, weed management, Metribuzin, mulching, hoeing, weed population

Key findings: Metribuzin herbicide treatment at a rate of 800 g ha^-1 alone or in combination with mulching or hoeing was effective in controlling weeds. It manifested in the yield and chemical properties of the potato. Integration between mulching or hoeing with 400 g ha^-1 of Metribuzin significantly controlled the weeds and the studied potato traits.

The presented study sought to investigate the response of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) plants on the influence of micronutrients nano fertilizer (silicon and zinc), carried out in June 2021 on private orchard fields in the Wasit Province, Iraq. The treatment construction was a perfectly randomized factorial experiment (5 × 5 × 3) in a completely randomized design, done with three replications. The roselle plant received micronutrients spraying with nano fertilizer silicon at concentrations of 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 ppm and nano zinc with concentrations of 0, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 ppm, studying their effects on the plant height (cm), fresh and dry weights (g plant−1), anthocyanin content, total soluble sugars, acidity citric acid, and TFAA of roselle rhizome in yield in single and two-way interactions. The discovery revealed a single application of the previously indicated factors had a considerable influence on the roselle’s development and productivity features, especially at high concentrations. Different outcomes resulted using two-way interactions. The most crucial effect observed was on the total soluble sugars. Based on the results, adding nano silicon and nano zinc to the roselle plant significantly increased all traits, regardless of the vegetable characteristics or chemical content achieved with the highest concentrations using the highest effects, whether alone or with two interactions.

Keywords: Roselle, micronutrients, nano fertilizer, silicon, zinc, total free amino acids

Key findings: In the roselle plants, adding nano silicon and nano zinc and their interactions highly improved all the vegetative and biochemical traits.

The conduct of a field trial on oat (Avena sativa L.) transpired during the crop season of 2020–2021 at the District Seddat Al-Hindiyya, Al-Mahnawiyah region, Babylon Governorate, Iraq. The latest study aimed to evaluate oat cultivars’ response based on their growth and yield under water stress conditions and identify the drought-tolerant genotypes. The experiment in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) had a split-plot arrangement, two factors, and three replications. The main plots included three levels of water stress, i.e., depletion of available water by 50% (D1), 60% (D2), and 70% (D3), while the sub-plots included four oat cultivars, namely, Shefa’a, Oats-11, Gouda, and Carlop. The results showed the control treatment (with 50% depleted available water) proved superior in oat growth and related traits, i.e., plant height, flag leaf area, chlorophyll content, relative water content, panicles m², seeds per panicle, 1000-seed weight, and grain yield with averages, reaching 98.76 cm, 43.78 cm², 48.58 SPAD, 77.24%, 631.5 panicles m^-2, 61.17 grains panicle^-1, 42.94 g, and 16.11 t ha^-1, respectively, compared with the D3 irrigation treatment, with values for above traits showed a significant decline: 93.97 cm, 30.05 cm², 34.47 SPAD, 65.75%, 340.3 panicles m^-2, 46.42 grains panicle^-1, 31.51 g, and 4.54 t ha^-1, respectively. The oat cultivar Shefa’a was considerably superior, leading the majority of growth and yield traits compared with other cultivars. The results confirmed and recommended growing the oat cultivar Shefa’a under dry and semi-arid environments.

Keywords: Oat (Avena sativa L.), cultivars, water stress conditions, drought tolerance, growth and yield traits, physiological parameters

Key findings: The depletion of 50% of available water excelled other water regimes (available water depletion of 60% and 70%) in oat growth and yield-related traits. The oat cultivar Shefa’a also leads in grain yield compared with other cultivars under all the water regimes.

The study materialized at the Plant Protection Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq to know the effects of adding plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) (Azospirillum brasilense, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Rhizobium ciceri CP-93, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus megaterium, and Trichoderma harzianum) as biofertilizers with 25% mineral fertilizer in wheat crops using the wheat cultivar IPA-99. The laboratory study included isolating and identifying Lysinibacillus, which showed no antagonism among these microorganisms in vitro. The study results revealed that the T2 treatment was superior in most of the traits under analysis, including the number of tillers (4.00 tillers plant^-1), spike length (10.50 cm), number of spikelets per spike (19.50 spikelets spike^-1), weight of 100 grains (3.50 g), and the number of grains per spike (35.43 grains spike^-1). The said treatment also excelled in the attributes, such as the grain content of nitrogen (4.870%), phosphorus (1.943%), potassium (4.156%), and protein in the grain (30.43%). The T2 outperformed all treatments, except for the biological yield characteristic, where treatment T5 (62.30 g plant^-1) excelled, and the harvest index, with treatment T1 (23.10%) excelled. However, they did not differ significantly from treatment T2.

Keywords: Wheat, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, biofertilizer, PGPMs, growth and yield traits

Key findings: Lysinibacillus fusiformis treatment as biofertilizer combined with 25% of the recommended mineral fertilizer doses significantly enhanced the wheat’s growth and yield parameters. Additionally, the biofertilizer also increased the NPK availability in wheat plants.

Orobanche garatiaca Sardar and Aledhari emerged as novel plant species within the Orobanchaceae family, specifically prevalent in the Gara mountain area within the Amadiya District (MAM) of Iraq. This study focused on this newly identified species’ primary habitat and distribution patterns. Detailed results from comprehensive identification and morphological studies provided insights into the distinct features and characteristics that differentiate O. garatiaca from other related species. The investigation delves into specific aspects of pollen morphology, elucidating details, such as diverse forms, colors, sizes, surface ornamentation, and numerical attributes, contributing to a thorough understanding of the reproductive organ of this newly discovered plant species.

Keywords: Orobanche garatiaca, Orobanchaceae, new species, Amadiya District, Iraq

Key findings: The Orobanche garatiaca is a new plant species added to the science.

In the floriculture industry, vegetative propagation is a widely use preserver of cultivar characteristics in roses. The latest study aimed to evaluate the effect of powder and gel forms of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on the adventitious root formation of two types of roses, i.e., Hybrid Tea Rose (Mr. Lincolin) and Floribunda (Iceberg). Both types of rose stem cuttings with lengths of 20, 25, 30, and 35 cm received evaluation with the application of Vapor Gard for one, two, and three weeks as an anti-desiccant. The rose cutting with a length of 30 cm treated for three weeks with Vapor Gard provided the maximum rooting percentages of 73%, 76%, 83%, and 83% for Hybrid Tea Rose and Floribunda, respectively. The Floribunda rose cuttings with IBA (gel form) resulted in the utmost percentage of rooted cuttings (93%), root length (15.7 cm), root number (21 per cutting), shoot number (four per cutting), shoot length (19.70 cm), number of leaves (20.0 leaf), and leaf area (19.6 cm²). IBA powder treatment was not significantly different from the IBA gel treatment in the leaf area for Hybrid Tea Rose. However, IBA gel treatment proved to be superior in all other parameters. This method combined IBA applied as a gel with longer cuttings of rose to generate an improved protocol for better rooting in rose stem cuttings. The successful use of this method has enhanced rooting in rose stem cuttings and can be functional for other valuable ornamentals and floricultural species.

Keywords: Hybrid Tea Rose (Mr. Lincolin), Floribunda (Iceberg) rose, IBA gel and powder forms, stem cuttings, root formation, root traits

Key findings: The current study indicated that the two rose types have responded differently to IBA applications in gel and powder form. The highest number of roots and their better growth were prominent in the stem cuttings of Floribunda rose type with IBA gel form (93%). Vapor Gard application for two weeks and IBA gel form in 30 cm stem cuttings significantly improved other parameters for both rose types.

The promising study aimed to determine the most suitable synthetic cultivar of maize (Zea mays L.) under varied effects of mineral fertilizer combinations (nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium) and organic manures. A maize field experiment materialized in the 2022 crop season in the experimental fields of Ibn-Al-Bitar Preparatory Vocational School, District Al-Hussainiya, Holy Kerbala Governorate, Iraq. Employing the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a split-plot arrangement helped set the experiment. In the main plots, the six combinations of mineral and organic fertilizers used comprised a) 160N + 100P₂O₅ + 40K₂O kg ha^-1, b) 160N + 100P₂O₅ + 40K₂O + 4 t ha^-1 of organic fertilizer, c) 160N + 100P₂O₅ + 40K₂O kg ha^-1 + 8 t ha^-1 of organic fertilizer, d) 320N + 200P₂O₅ + 80K₂O kg ha^-1, e) 320N + 200P₂O₅ + 80K₂O kg ha^-1 + 4 t ha^-1 of organic fertilizer, and f) 320N + 200P₂O₅ + 80K₂O kg ha^-1 + 8 tons ha^-1 organic fertilizer. The six maize synthetic cultivars in the subplots were Fajr-1, Maha, 5018, Sumer, Sarah, and Baghdad-3. The total uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus showed a significant interaction between fertilization levels and maize cultivars. The maize synthetic cultivar 5018 achieved the highest interaction at the sixth fertilizer level, with nitrogen and phosphorus uptake of 348.33 and 69.50 kg ha^-1, respectively. The maize cultivar Baghdad-3 at the sixth fertilizer level achieved the maximum interaction for potassium uptake, grains per ear, biological, and grain yields (213.43 kg ha^-1, 777.50 grains per ear, 20,949 kg ha^-1, and 9,674 kg ha^-1, respectively). However, this interaction was not significantly different from the interaction of the same synthetic cultivar with the fifth fertilizer level for the traits, viz., grains per ear, biological, and grain yields.

Keywords: Maize (Zea mays L.), synthetic cultivars, organic manures, mineral fertilizers, potassium uptake, biological and grain yield, biochemical traits

Key findings: The maize cultivar Baghdad-3, with the sixth level of fertilizer combination, achieved the highest interaction for total uptake of potassium, grains per ear, biological yield, and grain yield. However, this interaction did not differ significantly from the interaction of the same cultivar with the fifth fertilizer level for the grains per ear, biological, and grains yield.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is one of the foremost vegetable crops in Iraq and worldwide. Faba bean has also become a traditional food in different parts of the world, with cultivations mainly for their protein-rich pods. Faba beans sustain several fungal pathogen infections, which lead to considerable yield losses. Among these, the leaf spot disease is more prominent and considerably impacts the quality and quantity of faba bean production. In Iraq, the leaf spot disease has emerged as a significant problem in bean fields caused by several pathogens. In the presented work, sizable efforts focused on isolating and identifying fungal pathogens of the leaf spot disease in faba beans at the Basrah Governorate, Iraq. The study might also be the first report on the fungal species Exserohilum rostratum as a true pathogen of faba bean leaf spot disease in Iraq. The morphological and molecular diagnoses identified the pathogen by applying the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene. Searching the sequenced PCR products used the NCBI-BLAST website. The results proved a 99% similarity to the known fungus E. rostratum, with an eventual submission to NCBI under the gene accession number LC769969. The pathogenicity experiment materialized following Koch’s hypotheses to confirm the causative agent. The presented findings revealed the potential pathogenicity of this microbe on the aerial parts of the faba bean (V. faba L.) for the first time in Iraq.

Keywords: Faba bean (V. faba L.), Exserohilum rostratum, leaf spot disease, morphological and molecular identification, pathogenicity

Key findings: The appropriate study identified the fungal species Exserohilum rostratum as a potential threat in cultivating faba bean (V. faba L.) in Iraq. This research represents the first report of its pathogenic effect on aerial parts (stems, leaves, and pods) of the faba bean plants in Iraq.

A field experiment determined the effects of foliar application of zinc (0, 25, and 50 mg Zn L^-1) and manganese (0, 30, and 60 mg Mn L^-1) concentrations on growth variables of three mung bean cultivars (Indian Green VC6089A10, Indian Green VC6173B1319, and Indian Black Gold Star). The study commenced in the crop season 2022 at the College of Agriculture, District Ramadi, Anbar Governorate, Iraq. The experimentation followed a randomized complete block design with a split plot arrangement. The zinc levels showed significant differences for growth traits, and the 50 mg Zn L^-1 level exhibited the highest average characteristic for the vascular bundle thickness (232.1 μ). However, the manganese (60 mg Mn L^-1) exceeded the measurement of the lower stomata width (13.50 μ), and its comparative treatment (15.74 μ) outperformed the rest of the variants. The mung bean genotype Black Indian outshone the rest of the cultivars for most traits, such as lower stomata length (16.29 μ), but it did not differ significantly from the cultivar Green Vc6089a10 for the mentioned trait. The interactions of foliar application of zinc, manganese, and mung bean cultivars significantly influenced all these growth parameters.

Keywords: Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), leaf epidermis, stomata

Key findings: Zinc and manganese levels and their interactions in mung bean cultivars significantly influenced all the growth parameters. The mung bean genotype Black Indian outperformed most cultivars for most traits.