A total of forty New Zealand White (NZW) male rabbits of 6 weeks of age with an average initial body weight 83766 ±42.4 g were used to study the effects of medicinal and aromatic plants supplementation on growth performance, digestibility of nutrients, chemical composition of soft and hard feces, carcass traits, some blood plasma constituents and economical efficiency. Rabbits were distributed into 5 groups of eight rabbits each. The first group received basal unsupplemented diet which served as control diet, while the P1, P2, P3 and P4 groups were supplemented with 1.0% Basil, Chamomile, Fennel or Ginger, respectively. Results showed that the final body weight (13 weeks of age), daily weight gain and performance index significantly (P<0.05 or 0.01) increased in group fed diet supplemented with 1.0% fennel (P3), while the lowest values were obtained in rabbits fed diet supplemented with 1.0% ginger (P4). Rabbits fed diet P3 (1.0% fennel) showed significantly (P<0.01) the highest daily feed intake (88.85 g/day) comparing with the other experimental groups. The lowest feed intake was obtained in rabbits fed diet supplemented with 1.0% ginger (P4). Also, the rabbits fed diet P3 (1.0% fennel) showed better (P<0.01) feed conversion ratio (3.35) than those fed the control or other experimental diets. Digestibility values and feeding values such as TDN, DCP and ME were significantly higher (P<0.05 or 0.01) with fennel and chamomile supplementation diets (groups P2 and P3) than those of the control or other experimental groups. Rabbits fed diets supplemented with 1.0% basil, chamomile or fennel excreted higher crude protein in soft feces and lower in hard feces than those fed the control or ginger supplemented diets. The highest (P<0.05) crude fiber content of soft feces was observed in groups fed the control and ginger supplemented diets (diets C and P4), while the lowest (P<0.

Crop residues are one of the most critical problems which face the Egyptian farmer specially after harvesting crops such as rice cotton and other different farm crops. Field experiments were conducted at Rice Mechanization center, Meet El-Deeba, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate during summer season of 2009/2010. The present study was carried out by using a straw chopper to show the effect of straw moisture content (40.0, 25.0, and 15.0 %), machine forward speed (2.0,3.1, and 4.5 km/h) and different cutter head knives speed (23.0, 26.5, 29.5, and 33.0 m/s) on chopping length, machine capacity, chopping efficiency, degree of destruction, energy requirements and unit cost .The results indicated that increase the forward speed from (2.0 to 4.5km/h) tends to increase the chopping length from (14.0 to 17.0mm),machine capacity (1.50 to 1.70 Mg/h), energy required (3.198 to 3.717kW.h/Mg) and unit cost from (5.50 to 7.90 LE/Mg), respectively. Whilst, the increase of cutter head knives speed from (23.0 to 33.0 m/s)tends to decrease the chopping length from (14.0 to 10.5mm) and increase energy required (2.593 to 3.198 kW.h/Mg), chopping efficiency (79.0 to 88.0 %) and degree of destruction (52.0 to 62.0 %), respectively. Also, straw moisture content of 40.0 % gave the highest values of machine capacity, chopping length, chopping efficiency and degree of destruction as follows (1.70Mg/h, 10.5mm, 91.0% and 65.0%, respectively).

Different planting methods were used (Mechanical drilling, Mechanical transplanting and manual transplanting) and two rice variety (Giza 177 and Sakha 101) was used in this study to evaluate machine performance and water requirements. The experimental carried out in Rice Mechanization Center, Meet El-Dyba, Kafr El-sheikh, governorate during summer season of 2007. Increasing the forward speed for all planting machines tends to increase the effective field capacity, fuel consumption rate, power consumption, energy required and slip ratio and decrease field efficiency and specific fuel consumption. Also, the water requirement for different planting methods were (5686.2, 4500.8 and 5300.0 m 3 /fed) and (5858.5. 5091.5 and 5460.0 m 3 /fed) for rice variety Giza 177 and Sakha 101 under different planting methods, respectively. The grain yield was (3.300, 3.494 and 2.726 ton/fed) and (3.420, 3.980 and 2.957 ton/fed) for rice variety Giza177 and Sakha101 under different planting methods, respectively. The highest W.U.E value was obtained by using mechanical transplanting methods (0.571 and 0.582 kg/ m 3) for rice variety Giza 177 and Sakha 101, while the lowest value was (0.514 and 0.542 kg/ m 3) for Giza 177 and Sakha 101 under the manual transplanting .

The results showed that the yield was significantly affected by the water applied levels. The highest value flax seed yield was obtained with treatment (B) 753.25 kg seed/fed, and 4.58 Mg straw/fed, while the lowest value was obtained with treatment (D) 656.0 kg seed/fed, and 4.0 Mg straw/fed. 1-By increasing sowing machine forward speed from 3.61 to 7.22 km/h, tends to decrease germination ratio from 88.0 to 78.0 %. Also, the longitudinal and lateral scattering values increased from (3.1 to 4.5 %) and (1.3 to 1.8 %)when the sown machine forward speed increased from 3.61 to 7.22 km/h. Also, the coefficient of uniformity increased from (91 to 95 %). 2-increasing the sowing machine forward speed from 3.61 to 7.22 km/h, tends to increase the effective field capacity from (1.50 to 2.90 fed/h), consumed power from (14.0 to 33.0 kW), energy requirements from (9.33 to 11.38 kW.h/fed), slip ratio from (2.99 to 7.50 %) and decrease field efficiency from (89.5 to 82.0 %), respectively. 3-The lowest value of amount water applied was recorded with treatment (D) 1117.01 m 3 /fed, while the highest value was recorded with treatment (E) 1974.16 m 3 /fed, the water saving was 19.25, 10.27, 6.20 and 43.42 % for treatment A,B,C, and D, respectively as compared with treatment E. 4-Also treatment (D) was recorded the highest value of crop water use efficiency was 0.67 kg/m 3 , while treatment (E) was recorded the lowest value was 0.49 kg/m 3. 5-The highest value of actual water consumptive use was obtained with treatment (E) 1485.51 m 3 /fed, while the lowest value was obtained with treatment (D) 1005.9 m 3 /fed. * Ag.Eng. Res.Inst., A.R.C., Giza-Dokki-Egypt. National water research center. Irrigation research institute. **

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