Agricultural areas worldwide suffer immensely due to the rapid depletion of irrigation water. Applying the proper nutrients can alleviate the harmful effects of water stress. This field study transpired to evaluate the influence of both titanium-dioxide (TiO₂) and zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars (Gimeza-12 and Sids-13) under water irrigation requirements (WIR) of 100% and 75% WIR. Water stress reduced yield attributes and mineral contents but increased protein, gluten, Zeleny sedimentation index, flavonoids, antioxidant activities, and WP. All used concentrations of TiO₂-NPs and ZnO-NPs induced positive responses for all tested parameters compared with non-treated corresponding controls under well-watered and drought-stress conditions. Treatment with 10 mg L^-1 of ZnO-NPs followed by 10 mg L^-1 TiO₂-NPs gave the highest values of all studied yield parameters in plants subjected to 75% WIR for both cultivars compared to other controls. The results showed that the Gimeza-12 cultivar, which had the highest grain yield, was more tolerant to drought than the Sids-13 cultivar.

Keywords: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), water stress condition, nanoparticles, grain yield, biochemical composition, nutritional values

Key findings: All used concentrations of TiO₂ and ZnO-NPs induced positive responses for all tested parameters compared with non-treated corresponding controls under well-watered or drought-stress conditions in wheat (T. aestivum L.). Treatment with 10 mg L^-1 of ZnO-NPs followed by 10 mg L^-1 TiO2-NPs resulted in higher yield parameters in plants under 75% WIR for both cultivars than the control. The Gimeza-12 cultivar was more tolerant to water stress than the Sids-13 cultivar, which produced excellent grain yield.

The contemporary study examined several wild species of dicotyledons developing in the Samawa Desert in Southern Iraq. The various characteristics of these species’ assessment used a light microscope to isolate the species from each other and better utilize their qualities. Based on the collected field samples, four species belonging to the family Asteraceae reached identification, i.e., Aaronsohnia factorovskyi, Anvillea gracinii, Anthemis maritima, and Calendula arvensis. The botanical characteristics, such as shape, size, apertures, pole type, apocolpium, mesocolpium, wall thickness, and exine sculpturing, also gained evaluation in the study. The examined profiles of different species varied greatly, according to the results. The nature of the polarity of the pollen grains determines the pollen grains’ polarity, which, in turn, determines the shape of apertures and isopolar to take apertures zono-colporate. The overall shape of the pollen grains, determined by the ratio between the polar axis to the equatorial axis P/E, included prolate spheroidal and oblate spheroidal. By measuring the axis length, the study showed that the species’ pollen grains were within a medium range. As for exine sculpturing, the study revealed one type of sculpturing, i.e., echinate in the genera Aaronsohnia factorovskyi, Anvillea gracinii, and Anthemis maritima, while the genus Calendula arvensis was devoid of decorations.

Keywords: Compositae (Asteraceae), botanical traits, pollen grains, A. factorovskyi, A. gracinii, A. maritime, C. arvensis

Key findings: The study showed some botanical traits, such as spines, are closely related to species and taxa belonging to the family Compositae. Most studied species contained the outer wall layer of the pollen on spines of different lengths and shapes.

Farmers are using municipal wastewater—either treated or untreated—for irrigation because of limited freshwater resources. The current study conducted a detailed survey of areas using consistent irrigation with wastewater. Soil and water samples collected from the selected sites include the suburbs of Sargodha, i.e., Chak No. 79, Raza Garden, Chak. No. 50Nb, Hameed Town, Istaqlalabad Colony, and underwent laboratory analysis. The maximum EC (3.64 dS m^-1) resulted in wastewater samples collected from Raza Garden and the highest SAR (7.04) and RSC (2.28 me L^-1) came from wastewater samples collected from Chak No. 79. Maximum lead, nickel, and arsenic analysis were 2.52, 0.15, and 0.06 mg L^-1, respectively, from wastewater samples collected from Chak. No. 50Nb, with a uniform concentration of cadmium (0.01 mg L^-1) in wastewater samples collected from all five mentioned sites e. The maximum pH (8.25), SAR (13.69), organic matter (0.68%), lead (11.56 mg kg^-1), cadmium (1.71 mg kg^-1), nickel (12.85 mg kg^-1), and arsenic (4.62 mg kg^-1) emerged from soil samples collected from the Raza Garden site. On the other hand, the highest EC (4.12 dS m^-1) occurred in soil samples of the Istaqlalabad Colony. Based on these results, an urgent advisory should reach the farming community not to use wastewater for irrigation in untreated form because it has ill effects on soil health, contaminating the plants.

Keywords: Heavy metals, wastewater, toxicity, soil and water properties

Key findings: The untreated form of wastewater used for irrigation enriches the soil in toxic heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni, and As), which poses serious hazards. These heavy metals, exceeding their critical level, injure soils, plants, animals, and human health.

In Northern Iraq, growing Populus nigra L. occurs in small areas and narrow plains among the mountains. The samples selected for temporal plotting assessed these strains’ current and future growth. Thirty-five samples underwent random selection to cover an area of 0.1 ha. Measuring the DBH (diameter at mean height) and mean height of each sample comprised cutting two trees from the dominant and subdominant trees and taking the cross-sections at DBH. Statistical analysis established a nonlinear mathematical relationship between diameter growth and mean height diameter. Creating a tree table estimates the growth by listing diameter classes and frequencies for all samples. Populus volume per hectare’s determination used the local Populus nigra volume database. Therefore, utilizing the stand table projection method helps determine the migration of tree diameter classes within the stand over the next two years. The prediction of the final stand volume and number of trees was also easy. Since these stands had intensive management, an assumption was the number of dead and felled trees was zero, with the number of mature trees implicitly measured by calculating the movement of the trees for the next two years. The difference between current and future volumes’ evaluation revealed accurate growth.

Keywords: Populus nigra L., stand table, growth and yield, non-linear equations, present and future volume

Key findings: The tree table’s development used diameter classes and frequencies for all samples aided in growth estimates. The stand table projection determined tree diameter migration inside the stand during the next two years. The dead and felled trees were considerably zero, and an implicit estimation of mature trees relied on tree movement.

The search for novel components with antibacterial potential has recently gained increasing significance due to growing worldwide bacterial infections by antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Therapeutic plants are crucial to human health due to their antiseptic potential against bacterial pathogens. Botanical sources have benefitted healthcare for many years due to the various active compounds present, such as tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids. This study seeks to report the antibacterial potential of Cuminum cyminum against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. The research proceeded with the use of methanolic extract of C. cyminum preparation using the Soxhlet extraction technique. Formulating five concentrations (150, 180, 200, 220, and 250 mg/ml) used deionized water and incurred testing at varying temperatures (40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C, and 121 °C) and pH (3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 pH) ranges. The well-diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration helped analyze the antimicrobial properties of C. cyminum methanolic extract as observed against selected bacterial strains. The results’ analysis engaged the one-way ANOVA. It was evident that the maximum effect of plant extract against E. coli, B. subtilis, and B. cereus was at 200 mg/ml and against Staph. aureus, a maximum zone emerged at 180 mg/ml. At varying temperatures, the maximum inhibition of E. coli, Staph. aureus, and B. cereus occurred at 121 °C, with B. subtilis inhibited at 80 °C. For pH changes, it revealed that all strains were sensitive to acidic pH (3) at both concentrations (150 and 250 mg/ml).

Keywords: Cuminum cyminum, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus

Key findings: This study concluded that methanolic extracts of C. cyminum showed growth inhibition in all test strains. This inhibition might be due to cell membrane damages (caused by C. cyminum extract) leading to the restricted growth of the bacterial strain. Further studies need pursuits to validate this damage. This study also reported that C. cyminum methanolic extract proved effective against B. cereus compared with the other strains. The plant extract’s characterization also appeared at various ranges of temperature and pH.

Cysteine and thiourea represent natural antioxidants (compounds containing sulfur) that can protect plants against a broad spectrum of environmental stresses. A field trial directly assessed the probable influence of foliar treatment of cysteine (50, 75, and 100 mg L^-1) and thiourea (200, 400, and 600 mg L^-1) on growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments, seed yield quantity and quality, and some biochemical characteristics of flax plants grown in sandy soil. A foliar spray of cysteine and thiourea markedly increased growth characters, concurrently with an increase in Indole acetic acid content and photosynthetic pigments. Compatible osmolytes and yield components also improved compared with untreated plants. All treatments increased seed yield, oil content, and its components. The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids bore enrichment in the yielded seeds. It was also noticeable that the 400 mg L^-1 thiourea was the most pronounced in increasing to maximum the tested parameters of the flax plant. It could be a conclusion that foliar sprays of cysteine and thiourea were active in ameliorating flax performance through increasing antioxidant compounds and enzymes.

Keywords: Flax, cysteine, thiourea, growth, osmoprotectant, antioxidants, yield, fatty acids

Key findings: The flax seed variety (Sakha-3) exhibited its maximum growth and yield by foliar spraying with 400 mg L^-1 thiourea or 75 mg L^-1 cysteine when cultivated in sandy soils, and this effect came as a response to improving the antioxidant defense system.

The experiment commenced in the crop season of 2021–2022 at two experimental locations—first at the Department of Field Crops, College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul, Iraq, and the second was at a farmer’s field in Dohuk Governorate, Iraq. The presented study assessed the two wheat cultivars (Rasheed and Buhouth1) and their response to different concentrations of bread yeast (0, 4, and 8 g L^-1), as the wheat plants incurred spraying with yeast powder. The experimental layout used the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. According to the results, cultivar Rasheed showed significant superiority for plant height (49.4 and 50.2 cm), spike length (6.9 and 7.3 cm), and spikes plant^-1 (5.7 and 6.1 spikes plant^-1), and Buhouth1 cultivar was substantially superior for grain yield (18.6 and 20.6 g plant^-1) and harvest index (34.77% and 40.26%) for both locations. Also, from the results, the time of adding bread yeast in the booting stage was superior for characteristics: spikes plant^-1 (5.9 and 5.7), grain yield (19.1 and 20.9 g plant^-1), and harvest index (34.85% and 40.42%), whereas the time of addition in the tillering stage was superior for the 1000-grain weight (36.97 and 36.66 g) and biological yield (58.4 and 56.0 g) for both locations. The bread yeast concentration findings revealed a considerable advantage of the concentrations at 4 and 8 g L^-1 (they did not differ significantly from one other) over the absence of bread yeast concentration of 0 g L^-1 in the tillers plant^-1, spike length, spikes plant^-1, and biological yield. In the harvest index %, the concentration above 4 g L^-1 was best for the two locations. Most binary and triple interactions of the components in this investigation revealed substantial changes, particularly when their part involved spraying with bread yeast for the two experimental locations.

Keywords: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), yield-related traits, environmental locations, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, yeast

Key findings: Cultivar Rasheed showed significant superiority for plant height, spike length, and spikes plant^-1, while Buhouth1 cultivar superiority was in grain yield and harvest index for both locations. On adding time of bread yeast, the time of addition in the booting stage was superior in the characteristics of spikes plant^-1, grain yield, and harvest index, whereas the time of addition in the tillering stage was superior in the characteristics of 1000-grain weight, biological yield, and the conc. of 4 and 8 g L^-1 compared with 0 g L^-1.

Tomatoes are low in calories, however, they provide the precious content of vitamins, minerals, organic acids, carbohydrates, and, especially, carotenoids (β-carotene and lycopene), as essential requirements for the normal functioning of the human body. The latest study aimed to quantify the various compounds that exhibit antioxidant activities in different tomato cultivars. Tomato landraces with the supreme content of individual chemicals and complex of varied traits can serve as genetic sources in breeding for obtaining the tomato genotypes with the highest content of carotenoids, ascorbic acid, phenols, dry matter, and soluble sugars. Comparative analysis of tomato cultivars showed that to obtain genetic material with an enhanced content of secondary metabolites, the following tomato cultivars are recommendable for the desired hybridization to make possible cross combinations, i.e., Black Jack, Shirley, Bosare blue, and Christmas Blueberry and can suggest more precisely for high carotenoids content. Tomato cultivars VS169-19 and Paul Robeson can benefit as sources of soluble sugars and antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid and polyphenols.

Keywords: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, carotenoids, antioxidants, phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, soluble sugars

Key findings: The presented study determined the accumulation of secondary metabolites in the tomato fruits, with promising genotypes identified and selected for further probe through a hybridization program. A significant (P ≤ 0.05) positive correlation between the β-carotene and lycopene content and between ascorbic acid and total phenolic content attained establishment.

Egypt suffers from limited water resources, which threatens food security and reduces the chances of horizontal expansion by reclaiming new desert lands. Therefore, it was necessary to achieve this target for the productivity and quality of crops under harsh conditions. Field experiments proceeded at the Nubaria research station under sandy soil conditions to evaluate the effects of different silicon sources (silica gel, algae rich in silicon, and potassium silicate) on sugar beet yield and quality under different irrigation regimes (100%, 75%, and 50%) of water requirement (WR) during the growing seasons of 2020 and 2021. Results showed that potassium silicate was most effective for increasing chlorophyll content and growth parameters compared with other sources under water stress conditions. Also, improved nutrient contents in the root and shoot of sugar beet gave the highest values on N (0.58%, 2.54%), P (0.132%, 0.318%), K (0.42%, 1.05%), Fe (67.18, 83.28 ppm), and Zn (11.29, 12.73 ppm) content, respectively, when applied with K₂SiO₃ compared with deficit irrigation conditions. Stimulating rich-Si remains the most effective for enhancing the growth, quality, and yield of sugar beet grown under deficit irrigation regimes, which makes plants more resistant to weather conditions and water stress.

Keywords: Silicon sources, sugar beet, yield, sugar quality, water stress

Key findings: The application of stimulate rich-Si has been found to alleviate the harmful effects of water stress on sugar beet crops. Among the different sources of silicon, the application of stimulates rich-Si K₂SiO₃ and algae containing Si is the most effective in enhancing sugar beet yield by reducing water stress effects and improving growth, quality, and sugar yield under deficit irrigation conditions.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a promising source of antioxidants with health benefits. The presented study evaluated 15 white and colored potato cultivars, comparing each for total antioxidant compounds. In this research, the skin samples showed higher levels of total phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin compounds than tuber flesh samples. However, in tuber flesh samples, the total phenolic content ranged from 23.55 to 48.39, and the total flavonoid content varied from 9.54 to 21.24 mg 100 g^-1 of fresh weight. The highest total phenolic content occurred in the flesh of the purple potato cultivar Monakh (48.39 mg 100 g^-1 of fresh weight), and the highest total flavonoid content surfaced from the Udacha cultivar (21.24 mg 100 g^-1 of fresh weight). According to these results, potato cultivars with yellow and white tubers have demonstrated total phenolic and flavonoid contents comparable with colored tuber cultivars. However, tubers’ total phenolic and flavonoid contents showed no correlations with the total anthocyanin content (r = 0.3872 and r = 0.1947, respectively). The established results could be beneficial in developing potato cultivars with high concentrations of substances with high antioxidant activities, such as anthocyanins. Potato cultivars with the highest concentration of phenolics and anthocyanin can be alternative functional foods for human nutrition.

Keywords: Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), white and colored potato cultivars, pigmented potato, phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanin compounds

Key findings: The total phenolic content (TPC) and the total flavonoid content (TFP) showed moderate correlations with the color of potato tubers. Potato cultivars with white and yellow skin had relatively high phenolic and flavonoid content levels in the skin and flesh. Potato genotypes with high levels of phenolic can benefit breeding programs for developing new cultivars. Such varieties represent an important natural source of antioxidants with potentially beneficial effects on human health.