Combining ability analysis was conducted using line x tester design for seven inbred lines of maize which were crossed to three single crosses as testers at Ismailia Agricultural Research Station during 2016 growing season. In 2017 season, 21 crosses in addition to one check hybrid were evaluated at three locations. Highly significant differences were found between the locations for all studied traits. Mean squares due to crosses, their partitions and their interaction with locations were significant or highly significant for all studied traits, except for lines and lines x testers for number of ears/plant and testers for number of rows/ear. The best inbred lines for general combining ability effects were Gz-8093, Gz-8092 and Gz7253 for earliness and Tep-6240 for grain yield. the tester SC 131 was the best general combiner for days to 50% silking toward earliness, grain yield, number of ears/plant, ear length and ear diameter. The cross Gz-8093 x SC131 had the desirable SCA effects for all traits also. The additive gene effects were more important than the non-additive gene effects in inheritance of days to 50% silking, number of ears/plant, ear length and ear diameter while, the non-additive was more important than additive for grain yield, number of rows/ear and number of kernels/row. The nonadditive gene effects were more affected by environment than additive gene effects for all traits except for number of ears/plant. The cross Gz-8093 x SC131 highly significantly outyielded to the TWC 324, suggesting the use of this cross in maize breeding programs.

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a dermatosis that affects more than 50% of successfully treated visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients in Sudan. PKDL is considered an important reservoir for the parasite and its treatment may help in the control of VL. Currently, treatment is mainly with sodium stibogluconate (SSG), an expensive and fairly toxic drug and without universally in treatment protocols used. A literature review, a consensus of a panel of experts, and unpublished data formed the basis for the development of guidelines for the treatment of PKDL in the Sudan. Six treatment modalities were evaluated. Experts were asked to justify their choices based on their experience regarding of drug safety, efficacy, availability, and cost. The consensus was defined by assigning a categorical rank (first line, second line, third line) to each option. Regarding the use of AmBisome the presence of the drug in the skin was confirmed in smears from PKDL lesions. Recommendations: AmBisome at 2.5 mg/kg/day/20 days or SSG at 20 mg/kg/day/40 days plus four/weekly intradermal injection of alum-precipitated autoclave L. major vaccine are suggested as first- and second-treatment options for PKDL in the Sudan, respectively. SSG at 20 mg/Kg/day/60 or more days can be used if other options are not available.

Twelve newly developed white maize inbred lines were crossed with two testers i.e. SC 128 and SC 131 at Ismailia Agricultural Research Station during 2017 season. In 2018 summer season, the 24 top crosses and two white commercial check hybrids; TWC 321 and TWC 324 were evaluated under two locations (Loc); Ismailia and Mallawy Agricultural Research Stations. The studied traits were number of days to 50% silking (DS), plant height (PH), ear height (EH), ear length (EL), ear diameter (ED), number of rows/ear (RE), number of kernels/row (KR) and grain yield (GY). Mean square due to locations were significant for DS, EL, KR and GY traits. The crosses were significant for all studied traits, except PH trait. Mean square due to lines were highly significant for all traits except PH, EH, and KR. Mean square due to testers were highly significant for EH and GY. Also, mean square attributed to lines x testers interaction were highly significant for all traits except for DS, PH, and RE. The interactions of locations (Loc) with crosses and Loc x lines were highly significant for the studied traits except for PH. The superior inbred line Ism 6007 had desirable general combining ability (GCA) effects for grain yield and yield components. Also, the inbred line Ism 7100 showed better GCA effects for PH, EH, ED, RE and GY traits and inbred line Ism 7094 for earliness and grain yield. The tester SC 128 showed the highest GCA effect for grain yield. The best crosses for specific combining ability (SCA) effects were Ism 6040 x SC 128, Ism 7094 x SC 128, Ism 7169 x SC 128, Ism 7186 x SC 131 and Ism 7259 x SC 131 for grain yield and cross Ism 6007 x SC 131 for earliness, grain yield, and yield components. The non-additive gene effects were more important in controlling all studied traits. Moreover, non-additive gene effects were more interacted by environmental conditions than additive gene effects for all studied traits. The highest mean values and significant of crosses for grain yield (GY) were obtained from the Ism 6040 x SC 128 (37.5 ard/fad.), Ism 6007 x SC 131 (37.0 ard/fad.), Ism 7169 x SC 128 (36.7 ard/fad.), and Ism 7094 x SC 128 (35.5 ard/fad.). These three ways crosses out yielding significant than the commercial hybrids TWC 321 (33.7 ard/fad.) and TWC 324 (32.5 ard/fed). These promising hybrids should be tested in advanced trails.

Two field experiments were conducted at Gemmeiza Agriculture Research Station; the first was under normal irrigation and the second was under water stress by skipping the third and fourth irrigations during the two seasons 2018 and 2019, to study the response of 16 maize hybrids to water stress. A strip plot design with four replications was used in each year. Combined analysis across two years revealed that, significant or highly significant differences were detected between two years for the most of traits. Highly significant differences were found between normal irrigation and water stress treatment for all studied traits. Hybrids showed highly significant differences for all studied traits. The highest single crosses for grain yield plant-1 were SC 128 followed by SC 132 under normal irrigation and water stress conditions, meanwhile the highest three-way cross was TWC 321 under normal irrigation and TWC 368 under water stress. Single crosses SC 178 and SC 176 also three-way crosses TWC 352 and TWC 368 were able to tolerate drought. Correlation coefficient was significant and positive between each of ear length and number of kernels row-1 with grain yield plant-1 under normal irrigation and between 100 kernel weight and grain yield plant-1 under normal and stress irrigation.