Abstract. A total of 2 262 normal lactation records of Egyptian buffaloes kept at Mehallet Mousa Farm belonging to Animal Production Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture during the period from 1985 to 2003 were used to estimate phenotypic and genetic parameters for total milk yield (TMY, kg), lactation period (LP, day), birth weight (BW, kg) and weaning weight (WW, kg). In addition, eleven selection indices were constructed. Data were analyzed using multi trait animal model (MTAM). The model included individuals, permanent environmental and errors as random effects, month and year of calving and parity as fixed effects. Heritability estimates were 0.172, 0.134, 0.046 and 0.257 for TMY, LP, BW and WW, respectively. Genetic correlations among all traits studied are positive highly significant and ranged from 0.50 to 0.99. Permanent and temporary environmental correlations among all traits studied are similar to genetic correlations, while the correlations between WW and all traits studied are negative. Eleven selection indices were constructed, index I1 which incorporating TMY, LP, BW and WW or index I2 which incorporating TMY, LP and WW are the best (RIH =0.86), both indices are recommended to improve productive traits in Egyptian buffaloes.

Abstract. Estimates of genetic and phenotypic parameters for body weight at birth, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age, and for preweaning and postweaning average daily gain were computed and used to construct 14 selection indexes to improve the 12-month weight in Egyptian buffaloes. The full index incorporating body weight at birth, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age had the highest correlation with aggregate breeding value (rTI=0.63). The correlation fell to 0.62 when body weight at birth and 3 months were omitted from the index. Selection for body weight at 12 months of age alone is expected to be 76.2 % as efficient as selection for the full index. The maximum expected genetic gain in 12-month body weight was 8.85 kg/generation when all five body weights were included in the index; this decreased to 8.09 kg/generation when body weights at birth, 3 and 6 months were excluded and further decreased to 6.94 kg/ generation when selection based on yearling weight only. From the practical standpoint, selection on I5 involving body weight at 9 month of age can be considered as the best for improving body weight at 12 month since its application is earlier, less expensive, higher accuracy than any index excluding body weight at 12 month and giving reasonable amount (+5.39 kg) improvement in yearling weight as compared to direct selection (+6.94 kg).

An analysis of cow reproductive traits was carried out on 2057 lactation records of Egyptian buffaloes. A total of 651 daughters (paternal half-sisters) of 82 sires were available for the analysis. Reproductive traits analysed were age at first, second and third calving (AC), number of services per conception (NSC), gestation length (GL) and calving interval (CI). Year of calving affected most reproductive traits (P < 0-001) while no important differences were detected among months of calving. Means of NSC, GL and CI decreased linearly (P < 0-01) as parity advanced. Age of cow at calving exerted a pronounced effect (P < 0-001) on NSC and CI. There was no systematic change in the estimates of heritability and sire components of variance for reproductive measures over the first three lactations. Heritability estimates for NSC and GL in the different parities were generally low, ranging between 0-04 and 0-18, while moderate estimates for AC and CI were obtained. Phenotypic correlations between reproductive traits were positive and relatively moderate or low. For most traits, positive and relatively high or moderate estimates of genetic correlations were observed. Mating bull was found to be an important source of variation for reproductive performance of Egyptian buffaloes. The highly significant effect of mating bull on reproductive traits could be considered as evidence for the importance of evaluating bull semen quality before the mating of cows.

A threshing process for peanut crop is considered one of the most essential agricultural operations. Therefore, the research aimed to develop a local threshing machine for separating and extracting the peanut pods from straw and other materials. This was done by replacing the normal concave with a new one with opening of 7×7cm per opening (square shape). The front sieve is replaced with its last holes in the form of slides, with a distance of 0.5 cm. And adjusting the clearance between the threshing drum and concave in range of 7cm for drum-type (1) and the clearance between the threshing drum and concave should be 5cm for drum-type (2), The experimental work was carried out at El Delengat district, Behera Governorate. The performance of the thresher was tested under three crop feeding rates of 15, 20, and 25 kg/min, meanwhile, four speeds for a threshing drum 300, 350, 400, and 450 rpm (10.99, 12.82, 14.65, and 16.48m/s) and two types of threshing drums were tested, drum-type (1) 44 knives with a concave clearance 7cm and drum-type (2) 22 knives with a concave clearance 5cm. The results conducted that, the highest threshing efficiency (99. 7%) was obtained by drum type (2) under 450 rpm drum speed and 15kg/min feeding rate. The modified drum type (2) showed the lowest broken pods with an average of 1.93%. The lowest required power (12.2 kW) was shown under 300 rpm drum speed and 15 kg/min feeding rate.