‘Wonderful’ pomegranate arils were treated with 0.5% and 1% of calcium chloride, 0.5% and 1% of calcium lactate, and salicylic acid (1 and 2 mM), then treated and untreated (control) arils packaged in clean (sterilized) plastic containers. Fresh produce was then stored at 5±1 ℃. Assessment of arils quality was carried out at 3-day intervals by evaluating the following quality parameters: appearance, decay, off odor, flavor, total soluble solids, acidity, anthocyanin and vitamin C content, firmness, colour development (L* value and hue angle), and microbial load. Pomegranate arils treated with salicylic acid, calcium chloride, and calcium lactate maintained a general good quality and appearance up to 12 days of storage at 5±1 ℃, with no visible decay and off odor development. The total microbial population was lower in arils treated with salicylic acid, in comparison to treatments with calcium chloride, calcium lactate and control arils. All treatments scored above the limit of marketability, maintaining good quality of fresh-cut produce during storage. However, the use of salicylic acid and calcium chloride helped to keep a better overall quality of arils at the end of the 12-day storage at 5±1 ℃.

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Aims: The response of “Murcott” mandarin trees budded on Volkamer Lemon rootstock grown in salt-affected soil to different alleviating salinity stress additions was studied. Study Design: This research was designed to fit The complete randomize block design (CRBD). Place and Duration of Study: The present study was carried out in a private “Murcott” mandarin orchard located in “El-Adlia Association”, El-Sharqia Governorate, Egypt, during two successive seasons 2014/2015 and 2016/2017. Methodology: Eight different treatments were used as follow: 1) Control, 2) Magnetite at 138 kg/ha (Mag, knowing that ha = 10000 m2), 3) Effective microorganisms at the rate of 12 L/ha. (EM), 4) Biotic at the rate of 12 L/ha. (B), 5) Mag+B, 6) Mag+EM, 7) B+EM and 8) Mag+B+EM. Results: These different treatments mitigated salinity stress, reduced leaves osmotic pressure, thus increased fruit set, fruit yield, fruit quality, root distribution, photosynthetic pigments and mineral concentrations in leaves of Murcott trees compared with the control. Proline accumulations in fresh leaves, as well as soil pH and EC at the end of the two seasons also were recorded. Conclusion: The combination between B and EM in the presence or absence of Mag enhanced the ability of mandarin to alleviate salt stress and produced the highest yield and fruit quality.

Population trends of certain piercing-sucking insects infesting wheat i.e. Thrips sp L., Empoasca spp and its associated coccinellid predator Coccinella undecimpunctata was determined by using yellow sticky traps (YST), direct count and sweep net methods on wheat fields. The tested taxa exhibited one seasonal peak only/each. By using YST both Thrips sp and Empoasca spp showed that their peaks at March 5 with a general average of 242.5 and 12.25 individuals/ 1 YST, respectively. No or very few numbers of C. undecimpunctata were collected by this method. Concerning the direct count method, Thrips sp and C. undecimpunctata exhibited their peaks at February 26 with a general average of 10.50 and 19.50 individuals/10 wheat tillers, respectively. However, Empoasca spp is completely disappeared. By using sweep net both Thrips sp and Empoasca spp revealed that semi-equal peaks at early and mid-February, while C. undecimpunctata peak was appeared one to four weeks later. Concerning the effectiveness of the used sampling methods it is appeared that yellow sticky traps can be used successfully to determine thrips populations. However, the direct count inspection can be considered as the most suitable method for determining coccinellid population trends. On the other hand, sweep net can be used as a successful method for determining Thrips sp, Empoasca spp and C. undecimpunctata in wheat fields.