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.

Mutation breeding can improve the flower color and biochemical content. French marigold (Tagetes patula L.) is an ornamental and edible flower plant used for medicinal purposes. The latest study aimed to obtain potential genotypes with modified flower morphology, which contain high polyphenol content and antioxidant activity induced by gamma irradiation in M4 populations. The plant material was a wild type (MG21 genotype), a local genotype from Takengon, Aceh, Indonesia, with red-orange tubular and ligulate flower types and its five mutants with different flower morphologies. The wild type and its mutant genotypes vegetative propagation reached planting from October 2022 until March 2023 at an altitude of 1100 m asl (6° 46′ 6.268″ N latitude, 107° 2′ 57.703″ E longitude). Flower morphology assessment ensued through various observations based on UPOV and RHSCC criteria, and phenotypic measurement employed a colorimeter. The polyphenol analysis determined the total anthocyanin content (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC). The antioxidant activity estimation of T. patula used the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. The results also showed the diversity of mutant flower morphology, followed by different polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity. The highest TAC, TPC, and TFC were evident in Type-C (all-ligulate, red group), which was also higher than the wild type (tubulate and ligulate, red group). In addition, the highest FRAP occurred in Type-A (tubuligulate and ligulate, orange-red group), Type-B (all-ligulate, orange-red group), and Type-C, while the wild type was the lowest. The research revealed two potential mutant genotypes, type A and C, with high polyphenol content and antioxidant capability due to gamma irradiation in the M4 populations.

Keywords: French marigold (Tagetes patula L.), ornamental plant mutation, polyphenol, flavonoids, antioxidants, color analysis

Key findings: Two promising mutant genotypes characterized by different flower morphology and high biochemical content were obtainable through mutation in the local T. patula genotype. The latest research outcome offers insights into the potential traits of these mutants compared with the wild type. It also establishes correlation, encompassing the quantification of flower color using the CIELAB system to polyphenol content and antioxidant activity.

Crop production decreases because of water deficit stress conditions worldwide. Understanding genetic variation in enzymes and physiological responses of wheat genotypes under drought conditions is necessary to select tolerant genotypes for cultivation under drought conditions. These goals set 15 wheat genotypes for cultivation in the fall of 2022 with two irrigation interval regimes to evaluate their growth and yield-related traits for drought tolerance. The experiment had a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed highly significant differences among studied genotypes for all assessed traits. Genotype G11 gave the highest values in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, spike per meter, grain yield, and biological yield (9.620 milliunits/mL, 975.8 spikes m^-1, 10.725 t ha^-1, and 29.568 t ha^-1, respectively). Genotype G1 emerges with the utmost value for glutamate dehydrogenase activity (9.62 milliunits/mL), G2 for tillers per meter (1030.0 tillers m^-1), G4 for spike length (11.17 cm), G6 for 1000-grain weight (40.8 g), G12 for grains per spike (40.9 grain spike^-1), and G14 for plant height (117.2 cm). Likewise, water level treatments exhibited a significant impact on the studied traits. However, genotype G11 was leading in grain and biological yields. The five-day irrigation interval treatment gave the highest values in all studied traits except for glutamate dehydrogenase activity. Therefore, the study concluded that wheat genotypes responded differently to water level treatments and water stress at 14-day irrigation intervals, which can benefit screening the wheat genotypes for water deficit stress.

Keywords: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), genotypes, genetic variation, irrigation intervals, drought conditions, growth and yield traits, aldehyde dehydrogenases

Key findings: Genotype G11 had the highest aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, spike count, grain, and biological yields (9.620 milliunits/mL, 975.8 spike m^-1, 10.725 t ha^-1, and 29.568 t ha^-1, respectively). Genotype G1 had the utmost glutamate dehydrogenase activity (9.62 milliunits Ml^-1), G2 for tillers per meter (1030.0), G4 for lengthiest spikes (11.17 cm), G6 for heaviest grains (40.8 g), G12 for grains per spike (40.9 grains spike^-1), and G14 the tallest plants. Furthermore, the 5-day water level treatment significantly affected the growth and yield-attributing traits.

Seven peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes underwent a molecular study. Using two indicators based on the PCR technique, namely, the RAPD and RE-RAPD indicators, cutting enzymes and custom prefixes from the RAPD marker determined the genetic relationship between the genotypes of the quantitative traits. The results showed that RAPD indicators could be beneficial in evaluating peanut genotypes in groups and estimating the genetic distance between them. Direct relationships to molecular genetics and the phenotype genetic distances, special uniting ability effect and the strength of the cross between the average parents, the strength of the hybrid on the best parents, and the average traits showed in parent four the maximum hereditary distance, with parent three exhibited the minimum hereditary distance based on the results of the phenotypic and RAPD indicators. The RE-RAPD indicators were also efficient in identifying 25 genetic mutations, as these mutations have become a diagnostic genetic fingerprint of most parents and an indication of the presence of specific sites, especially of parents, in their genome by using eight primers.

Keywords: Peanut (A. hypogaea L.), parental genotypes and hybrids, genetic analysis, genetic distance, phenotypic and molecular correlation, RAPD markers

Key findings: Peanut (A. hypogaea L.) genotype no. 4 and the hybrid 1 × 5 proved the leading genotypes for best performance. RAPD indicators were efficient in identifying phenotypic and genetic dimensions and mutations.

The latest study investigated the salt tolerance of 55 cotton genotypes at the seedling stage, focusing on morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits at four salinity levels (1.8, 10, 15, and 20 dSm^-1). Morphological parameters, including root and shoot lengths and weights, were adversely affected by increasing salinity levels. Chlorophyll contents decreased, indicating compromised photosynthetic efficiency. Sodium ion accumulation increased under salt stress, leading to altered ion balance. Biochemical assays highlighted increased activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, elevated hydrogen peroxide levels, and proline content, indicating oxidative stress. The AA-933 showcased exceptional tolerance to salt stress across various levels for fresh and dry root and shoot lengths and weights. Also, NIAB-824 exhibited impressive performance for rootrelated traits. The resilience of SLH-33 was particularly noteworthy, excelling in morphological features, including fresh and dry root and shoot lengths, especially under the highest level of salinity stress (20 dSm^-1). Likewise, CRIS-625, Hataf 3, and FH-498 demonstrated robust adaptability by maintaining elevated K⁺/Na⁺ ratios. Hataf 3 stood out as a top performer across various physiological and biochemical traits, such as chlorophyll contents, K⁺, K⁺/Na⁺, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, proline contents, and total antioxidant capacity, highlighting its remarkable salt tolerance. The biplot analysis further substantiated the distinct traits associated with different genotypes, aiding in identifying those with exceptional performance under varying salt-stress levels. This study highlights the importance of understanding salt-stress response in cotton, suggesting that breeding salt-tolerant varieties could improve crop resilience and productivity in challenging environments, promoting sustainable agriculture.

Keywords: Salinity, cotton germplasm, screening, oxidative stress, ionic imbalance, salt tolerance

Key findings: Based on morphological markers like root and shoot-related traits, SLH-33 was the top performer under all salinity-stress levels. Hataf 3 was the option as a salt-tolerant genotype based on the physiological (chlorophyll contents) and biochemical markers (K⁺/Na⁺, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, proline content, and total antioxidant capacity).