Ashraf E. Hamdy

EDUCATION

PhD in Horticulture- Pomology

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Horticulture, fruit Physiology, stress, citrus, olive , mango, post harvest, quality

Scopus Publications

Biodegradable Nanoparticle Coating from Chitosan, Salicylic Acid and Banana Peel Extract Enhances Shelf Life of "Murcott " Fruits
Ashraf Hamdy, Ibrahim Elnagar, Eman Mohammed Hammad, Aliaa A. Almashad, Ahmed Elmezien, Magdy Abd-elwahab Omar, Hosny F Abdel-Aziz, Abd El-wahed N Abd El-wahed, and Marwa E. Abd El-Sadek
Egyptian Knowledge Bank



Nano-enhanced growth and resilience strategies for Pomegranate cv. Wonderful: Unveiling the impact of zinc and boron nanoparticles on fruit quality and abiotic stress management
Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, Sobhy M. Khalifa, Mashael Daghash Alqahtani, Ahmed M. Abd –Alrazik, Hosny Abdel-Aziz, Ahmed Mancy, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, Basmah M. Alharbi, Ashraf Hamdy, and Amr Elkelish
Elsevier BV



Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Responses of Some Olive Tree Cultivars to Low Temperature Stress
Adel M. Al-Saif, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Haitham El-khamissi, Ahmed F. Abd El-Hakim, Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, Mohammed H. Farouk, Ashraf E. Hamdy, and Eman M. Hammad
BioResources
This study evaluated the impact of night frost incidents on the biochemical, physiological, and reproductive functions of the olive varieties Manzanillo, Coratina, Koroneiki, and Picual. Certain cultivars were more suited to moderate cold night stress than others, based on the changes in the performance of the stressed plants, including vegetative growth, tree yield, fruit physical characteristics, and fruit chemical characteristics. Compared to other tested cultivars, the biochemical responses of the plants in terms of photosynthetic pigments, relative water content (RWC), total phenolic compounds, total flavonoid, and antioxidant enzyme accumulation demonstrated that some cultivars could withstand the applied stress. The conclusion that some cultivars responded differently to cold stress than others was supported by the plant phenology. This research could be a game-changer for farmers. By understanding how olive trees adapt to cold snaps, a common stressor in open fields, they can make informed decisions about breeding and choosing the best cultivars, ultimately leading to more resilient crops. The results showed that all tested olive tree cultivars differ significantly regarding cold stress conditions. Coratina and Koroneiki were the most resistant tested cultivars in terms of biochemical, physiological, and reproductive functions, followed in ascending order by Manzanello and Picual.


Licorice-root extract and potassium sorbate spray improved the yield and fruit quality and decreased heat stress of the ‘osteen’ mango cultivar
Adel M. Al-Saif, Haitham Ahmed El-khamissi, Ibrahim Ahmed Elnaggar, Mohammed Hamdy Farouk, Magdy Abd El-Wahab Omar, Abd El-wahed Naser Abd El-wahed, Ashraf Ezzat Hamdy, and Hosny Fathy Abdel-Aziz
PeerJ
Heat stress, low mango yields and inconsistent fruit quality are main challenges for growers. Recently, licorice-root extract (LRE) has been utilized to enhance vegetative growth, yield, and tolerance to abiotic stresses in fruit trees. Potassium sorbate (PS) also plays a significant role in various physiological and biochemical processes that are essential for mango growth, quality and abiotic stress tolerance. This work aimed to elucidate the effects of foliar sprays containing LRE and PS on the growth, yield, fruit quality, total chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzymes of ‘Osteen’ mango trees. The mango trees were sprayed with LRE at 0, 2, 4 and 6 g/L and PS 0, 1, 2, and 3 mM. In mid-May, the mango trees were sprayed with a foliar solution, followed by monthly applications until 1 month before harvest. The results showed that trees with the highest concentration (6 g/L) of LRE exhibited the maximum leaf area, followed by those treated with the highest concentration (3 mM) of PS. Application of LRE and PS to Osteen mango trees significantly enhanced fruit weight, number of fruits per tree, yield (kg/tree), yield increasing%, and reduced number of sun-burned fruits compared to the control. LRE and PS foliar sprays to Osteen mango trees significantly enhanced fruit total soluble solids ˚Brix, TSS/acid ratio, and vitamin C content compared to the control. Meanwhile, total acidity percentage in ‘Osteen’ mango fruits significantly decreased after both LRE and PS foliar sprays. ‘Osteen’ mango trees showed a significant increase in leaf area, total chlorophyll content, total pigments, and leaf carotenoids. Our results suggest that foliar sprays containing LRE and PS significantly improved growth parameters, yield, fruit quality, antioxidant content, and total pigment concentration in ‘Osteen’ mango trees. Moreover, the most effective treatments were 3 mM PS and 6 g/L LRE. LRE and PS foliar spray caused a significant increase in yield percentage by 305.77%, and 232.44%, in the first season, and 242.55%, 232.44% in the second season, respectively.


In Vitro Drought Tolerance of Some Grape Rootstocks
Abdullah I. Alebidi, Adel M. Al-Saif, Hosny F. Abdel Aziz, Gamal A. Abdrabboh, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, Mohammed H. Farouk, and Ashraf E. Hamdy
Wydawnictwo Naukowe Gabriel Borowski (WNGB)
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of drought strain, which poses a first-rate task to grapevine production. This have a look at investigated the response of four grape rootstocks (Richter, Salt Creek, Freedom, and Dogridge) to water deficit prompted by way of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Two pressure induction techniques had been as compared: surprise remedy, related to direct exposure of cultures to growing PEG concentrations (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%); and step-clever long-time period remedy, steadily increasing PEG concentrations (0%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) through the years. The essential findings were as fol - lows: drought strain negatively impacted all rootstocks, leading to decreased morphological tendencies (shoot number, period, and root number), survival %, and biochemical parameters (chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, stomata popularity, RWC content material). It additionally led to reduced nutrient accumulation (N, P, K, Mg, Ca) in leaves. However, all rootstocks exhibited increased Proline content and antioxidant enzyme hobby under all PEG concentrations. In phrases of rootstock-unique responses, Richter and Salt Creek showed the maximum sturdy performance, maintaining better shoot and root growth, nutrient content, and photosynthetic hobby compared to Freedom and Dogridge. On the alternative hand, Freedom and Dogridge exhibited extra sensitivity to drought stress, experiencing stronger discounts in boom, biochemical parameters, and nutrient accumulation. In conclusion Richter and Salt Creek rootstocks could be valuable equipment for reinforcing drought tolerance in grapevines. The two carried out PEG remedies provide valuable methods for screening and deciding on drought-tolerant grape rootstocks.


Improvement of Fruit Quality and Phytochemical Components of Pomegranate by Spraying with B<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> and ZnO Nanoparticles
Adel M. Al-Saif, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, Ibrahim M. Taha, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Mohammed H. Farouk, and Ashraf E. Hamdy
MDPI AG
Pomegranate is one of the most important and widely distributed trees. Boron and zinc are important nutrients for plant growth and fruit quality. Nanotechnology has emerged as one of the most innovative scientific fields in agriculture. This study was conducted to describe the changes in the physiochemical characteristics (weight, diameter, length, firmness and color), as well as the phytochemicals attributes (total phenolics, total flavonoids, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin and antioxidant %) and minerals contents, of pomegranates fruits of the ‘Wonderful’ cultivar as a result of spraying pomegranate trees using nanomaterials (zinc oxide (ZnONPs) and boron oxide (B2O3NPs)). In three successive developmental stages (full bloom, 6 weeks after full bloom and one month before harvest time), the trees were sprayed with 0.25, 0.5 and 1 g/L ZnONPs, as well as 0.25, 0.5 and 1 g/L B2O3NPs during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The application of ZnONPs and B2O3NPs influenced the qualitative characteristics of the fruits in the studied seasons. The highest marketable % was observed for the 0.50 and 1 g/L ZnONPs and 1 g/L B2O3NPs compared to the other treatments. Also, a positive effect was recorded for the ZnONPs and B2O3NPs on the fruits’ physical properties. All of the ZnONP and B2O3NP treatments resulted in increasing the total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin and ascorbic acid contents and the antioxidant activity in the pomegranate juices. In conclusion, our results suggest that spraying pomegranate trees with ZnONPs and B2O3NPs improves the marketable fruit, enhances the fruit quality and increases the bioactive components and antioxidant activity.


The Impact of Bud Load on Berry Quality, Yield, and Cluster Compactness in H4 Strain Grapevines
Adel M. Al-Saif, Moustafa A. Fahmy, Galal A. Baghdady, Ahmed M. Abd El-Razik, Elbaz A. Kabsha, Mohammed H. Farouk, and Ashraf E. Hamdy
MDPI AG
The Thompson Seedless (Sultanina) seedless variety of grapes is an important crop in Egypt, both for local consumption and export. In recent years, the H4 strain of this grape variety has gained popularity due to its high productivity. However, a drawback of this strain is that the grape clusters become densely packed, resulting in small berries and reduced overall quality. A study was conducted to investigate the impact of pruning severity and bud load on the growth, yield, and quality of H4 grapes. The study included several different treatments, namely T1 Control: (10 canes × 12 buds), T2: (8 canes × 6 buds), T3: (8 canes × 8 buds), T4: (8 canes × 10 buds), T5: (8 canes × 12 buds), T6: (6 canes × 13 buds), T7: (8 canes × 13 buds), T8: (10 canes × 13 buds), and T9: (12 canes × 13 buds). The behavior of the buds, vegetative growth, yield, and quality of the grapes were analyzed. The results showed that pruning of the H4 strain with either 8 canes and 10–12 buds per cane, or 6 canes with 13 buds, produced the best results in terms of managing excessive fruit production, achieving a balance between vegetative growth and yield, and improving the physical and chemical characteristics of the grape clusters and berries. Overall, maintaining 8 canes with 10–12 buds per cane or 6 canes with 13 buds is recommended for obtaining maximum crop yield and quality.


Pruning Boosts Growth, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Old Valencia Orange Trees: A Field Study
Adel M. Al-Saif, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Sobhy M. Khalifa, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, Mohammed H. Farouk, and Ashraf E. Hamdy
MDPI AG
Pruning is an essential practice that helps control branch growth, optimize fruit size, and enhance fruit tree productivity. This study focused on ‘Valencia’ orange trees, which had experienced a decline in productivity after being cultivated on reclaimed lands for several years. The aim was to explore the impact of pruning intensity on vegetation growth, fruit yield, productivity, and fruit quality in these orange trees. The study involved 35-year-old ‘Valencia’ orange trees, which were subjected to four different levels of pruning. The pruning treatments included: T1—no pruning (control group), T2—light pruning (removal of 25% of main branches), T3—moderate pruning (removal of 50% of main branches), and T4—heavy pruning (removal of 75% of main branches). Each season, these pruning measures were consistently carried out on 15 February. The results indicated that the severity of pruning directly influenced vegetative growth parameters, such as shoot length and leaf area. As the pruning intensity increased, so did the growth of the vegetation. However, the overall volume of the tree’s canopy decreased compared to the control group. These findings provide insights into the relationship between pruning practices and the growth and productivity of ‘Valencia’ orange trees. The highest fruit yields were observed when pruning was carried out at a severity level of 75%, followed by 50 and 25%. These pruning treatments had a positive impact on various aspects of fruit quality, including weight, size, firmness, juice content, TSS (°Brix), TSS/acid ratio, and vitamin C content. Additionally, pruning contributed to a greater fruit yield per tree and an overall increase in the yield percentage. In essence, the findings suggest that pruning performed at different severity levels in February effectively promotes vegetation growth and enhances the physical and chemical properties of ‘Valencia’ orange trees. Notably, it resulted in a nearly 20% rise in fruit yield compared to the control group.


GA3 Enhances the Chemical and Physical Properties, Yield and Reducing Compactness of H4 Grapevines
Ashraf Hamdy
Egypts Presidential Specialized Council for Education and Scientific Research



Using Deficit Irrigation Strategies and Organic Mulches for Improving Yield and Water Productivity of Mango under Dry Environment Conditions
Abdulrahman Alhashimi, Arwa AL-Huqail, Mustafa Hashem, Basem Bakr, Waleed Fekry, Hosny Abdel-Aziz, Ashraf Hamdy, Ramadan Abdelraouf, and Maher Fathy
MDPI AG
Many techniques have been and are being made to find alternatives to water-saving practices. Among them, Partial root drying (PRD), one effective approach, plays a major role in reducing the harmful effects of water deficit stress. Field experiments were carried out on mango trees for a private farm in Egypt over the course of two years, 2020/2021 to 2021/2022, in an area with sandy soil, hot summer conditions, and cold and rainy winter conditions. In the experiment that was carried out, the experimental design included using different irrigation strategies (I1, 100% full irrigation “FI”; I2, 75% FI; I3, 50% FI; and I4 (PRD), 50% FI) in the main plot and different amounts of organic mulch in the soil (L0, no layers of organic soil mulch, used as a control; L1, a single layer of organic soil mulch; L2, two layers of organic soil mulch; and L3, three layers of organic soil mulch) in subplots of the main plot in order to inspect the impact of the treatments on yield, water productivity, and energy usage under arid conditions. To meet the study’s objective, two field experiments were carried out at a private farm. Our results demonstrate a general decrease in water stress and salt accumulation inside the root-zone area with PRD and L3. During the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons the PRD strategy increased fruit yields by 3.7 and 7.3% and water productivity by 51.9 and 53.1%, respectively, compared with the control treatment (I1) while reducing the amount of applied irrigation water by 50%. The PRD strategy along with organic mulching showed superior results with respect to increasing mango yields and water productivity. In general, PRD can be used as a good technique to save water and energy by up to 50% while enhancing productivity, ultimately improving mango yields under arid climatic conditions. Thus, it may prove a good adaptation strategy for current and future water shortage scenarios involving climate change.


Effects of Fogging System and Nitric Oxide on Growth and Yield of ‘Naomi’ Mango Trees Exposed to Frost Stress
Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Ashraf E. Hamdy, Ahmed Sharaf, Abd El-wahed N. Abd El-wahed, Ibrahim A. Elnaggar, Mahmoud F. Seleiman, Magdy Omar, Adel M. Al-Saif, Muhammad Adnan Shahid, and Mohamed Sharaf
MDPI AG
In years with unfavorable weather, winter frost during the blossoming season can play a significant role in reducing fruit yield and impacting the profitability of cultivation. The mango Naomi cultivar Mangifera indica L. has a low canopy that is severely affected by the effects of frost stress. As a result of the canopy being exposed to physiological problems, vegetative development is significantly inhibited. The current investigation aimed to study the influence of spraying nitric oxide and fogging spray systems on Naomi mango trees grafted on ‘Succary’ rootstock under frost stress conditions. The treatments were as follows: nitric oxide (NO) 50 and 100 μM, fogging spray system, and control. In comparison to the control, the use of nitric oxide and a fogging system significantly improved the leaf area, photosynthesis pigments of the leaf, the membrane stability index, yield, and physical and chemical characteristics of the Naomi mango cultivar. For instance, the application of 50 μM NO, 100 μM NO, and the fogging spray system resulted in an increase in yield by 41.32, 106.12, and 121.43% during the 2020 season, and by 39.37, 101.30, and 124.68% during the 2021 season compared to the control, respectively. The fogging spray system and highest level of NO decreased electrolyte leakage, proline content, total phenolic content, catalase (CAT), peroxidases (POX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme activities in leaves. Furthermore, the number of damaged leaves per shoot was significantly reduced after the application of fogging spray systems and nitric oxide in comparison to the control. Regarding vegetative growth, our results indicated that the fogging spray system and spraying nitric oxide at 100 μM enhanced the leaf surface area compared to the control and other treatments. A similar trend was noticed regarding yield and fruit quality, whereas the best values were obtained when the fogging spray system using nitric oxide was sprayed at a concentration of 100 μM. The application of fogging spray systems and nitric oxide can improve the production and fruit quality of Naomi mango trees by reducing the effects of adverse frost stress conditions.


GA<inf>3</inf> and Hand Thinning Improves Physical, Chemical Characteristics, Yield and Decrease Bunch Compactness of Sultanina Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.)
Khalid S. Alshallash, Moustafa A. Fahmy, Anas M. Tawfeeq, Galal A. Baghdady, Gamal A. Abdrabboh, Ashraf E. Hamdy, and El-baz A. Kabsha
MDPI AG
Nowadays, the Sultanina grapevines H4 strain has become widely cultivated because of its high productivity. However, this Sultanina variety is suffering from clusters with small berries, in addition highly compacted berries, thus negatively affecting the quality of bunch berries. A field experiment was carried out during the two successive seasons on Five years old Sultanina (H4 strain) grapevines grafted onto freedom rootstock grown in a private orchard located in El-Khatatba region, Minufyia Governorate, with coordinates of 30°21′ N 30°49′ E. The investigation was designed to throw light on the effect of hand thinning at levels 0, 25%, and or 50% of cluster shoulders was removed in addition to spray with 0, 20, 30, and 40 ppm GA3 for berry sizing. In addation, the first application was the hand thinning treatment, which was used on the second and third week of May for the first and the second seasons. The second application was the berry sizing treatment, applied when the berries were at 6–7 mm diameter (on the 3rd and 4th week of May for the first and the second seasons. Results indicated that the total chlorophyll content of leaf decreases when the hand thinning levels or GA3 concentration increases, while hand thinning and GA3 treatments were higher than control only concerning pruning weight. Moreover, the results showed that the first level of hand thinning treatments recorded higher values for the cluster weight than the higher level of hand thinning treatments with all the concentrations of GA3 used for sizing. The highest value was with T2. The overperformance of T2 for the vine yield and the rest of the treatments at the lower level of hand thinning were better than those at the higher level of hand thinning. In conclusion, hand thinning at 50% level and sizing with GA3 at concentration 30 ppm reduced the cluster compactness and improved the berry weight and firmness. Therefore, it could be recommended to get the most suitable yield and quality of Sultanina grapevines.


Using chitosan nanoparticles and N-acetyl thiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid for olive trees efficiency raising, improving fruits properties and oil quality
K. S. Alshallash, I. Elnaggar, A. N. A. Abd El-wahed, A. Fahmy, A. M. Tawfeeq, E. M. Hammad, A. A. Almashad, A. I. Elmezien, A. E. Hamdy and I. M. Taha

Recently exposure of olive trees to many stresses particularly oil varieties led to decline in the olive yield. The target of the study is to improve vegetative growth and increase olive fruits quality as well as the fruit oil % and oil quality by applying chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs) and N-acetyl thiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid (N-ATCA) under the conditions of Egypt. The experiment was carried out in the seasons of 2021 and 2022 on Arbosana olive trees 8 years old and 4×6 m apart the trees sprayed three times on 15th Sept., 1st Oct. and 15th Oct. with (CHNPs at 500, 1000 and 1500 ppm), (N-ATCA at 50, 100 and 150 ppm) and a combination between them and evaluate the vegetative growth of trees, fruit physiochemical characteristics, and oil properties during both study seasons. The application of CHNPs and N-ATCA and a combination of them led to increasing leaf area, total chlorophyll and proline content also increment fruit weight, flesh weight, oil color and oil % moreover improving the quality of produced oil. The improvement in growth, fruit quality, oil % and oil quality, were associated with increasing concentrations of CHNPs, N-ATCA and a combination of them especially (CHNPs at 1500 ppm + N-ATCA at 100 ppm and CHNPs at 1500 ppm + N-ATCA at 150 ppm). Spraying (CHNPs at 1500 ppm + N-ATCA at 150 ppm) is recommended to improve the tree growth, fruit quality, oil % and quality of Arbosana olive.


Utilization of jojoba oil and salicylic acid as postharvest treatment on storability and fruit quality of ‘Late Swelling’ peach cultivar
Khalid S. ALSHALLASH, Ibrahim A. ELNAGGAR, Abd El-wahed N. ABD EL-WAHED, Ashraf E. HHMDY, Hosny F. ABDEL-AZIZ, and Magdy A. OMAR
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca
The ‘Late-Swelling’ peach is an important cultivar due to its attributes of fruit quality, such as handling ability and late harvest season. Peaches rapidly deteriorate during storage, which shortens their shelf-life. The preservation of quality traits of ‘Late-Swelling’ peach during handling and storage investigated. Fruits harvested in the early ripe stage (last week of June) were either dipped in jojoba oil (JO) 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm and salicylic acid (SA) 100, 200, and 300 ppm, then stored at 5+1 °C and 85% RH for 35 days besides 7 days as shelf-life the fruits were examined every 7 days until the end of the experiment. Positive influences were observed for JO and SA on the different chemical and physical characteristics of the peach fruits under study especially those related to storability and fruit quality. All fruits treated with JO 1500 and 1000 ppm, and SA 300 ppm maintained the fruit firmness, hº, total acidity, and ascorbic acid over the whole storage period, in addition to the lowest decay and weight loss, as well as maintaining the fruit sensory quality and decreased peroxidase [PPO] activity while increasing polyphenol oxidase [POD], catalase [CAT], and ascorbate peroxidase [APX] activities compared with the control at the end of shelf-life period. In conclusion, our results suggest using JO and SA to enhance and prolong the storability of peach fruits at 5+1 °C and 85% RH.


The Effect of Different Processing Methods on the Behavior of Minerals Content in Food Products
Khalid Alshallash, Mohamed Shahat, Mohamed Ibrahim, Ahmed Hegazy, Ashraf Hamdy, Ibrahim Elnaggar, Abd El-Wahed N. Abd El-Wahed, and Ibrahim Taha
Wydawnictwo Naukowe Gabriel Borowski (WNGB)
The goal of the current study was to determine the mineral content of different fruit varieties (Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Cu), as well as the effects of various processing methods (such as canning, drying, stewing, syrup process, and concentration of juices). All tested fruits that were subjected to various types of processing were exposed to a degree of mineral loss, varying from very little to high reduction. However, it still retains its nutritional value. All fig products have the greatest levels of most tested minerals, compared to other processed fruit products, particularly P and Fe. In turn, orange products supply higher quantities of Ca. On the other hand, apricot products have a comparable value of other minerals with those found in fig and orange products. Among canned juices, guava had the highest contents of Ca, P, and Fe, while mango scored the first juice as Mg and Zn supplying. Canned apricot halves contain the best amounts of K, Ca, P and Mg than the same products of apple and peach. Among jam products, fig jam has higher amounts of Na, Ca, P, Mg, and Fe than those found in other fruit jams. The concentration of fruit juices by vacuum-heating or dehydration of fruit produced higher mineral retentions than the fruit products that were processed by other techniques. The concentrated orange juice by vacuum-heating processing retained most of the minerals found in raw juice, also dried apricot sheet retained higher minerals than those retained in dehydrated whole apricot.


Drip Irrigation and Compost Applications Improved the Growth, Productivity, and Water Use Efficiency of Some Varieties of Bread Wheat
Khalid S. Alshallash, Khaled M. Makled, Khldoon F. Saeed, Abdesalam A. Shehab, Al Sayed M. Farouk, and Ashraf E. Hamdy
MDPI AG
In hyper-arid and arid zones, management of crop water requirements is considered a vital component for sustaining crop production. The efficiency of the irrigation method and the application of many kinds of organic matter are practices that should be followed in Egypt to maximize the use of irrigation water. Two field experiments were conducted during the two successive winter seasons of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 to study the effect of drip irrigation systems and of several types of compost on yield and yield attributes of four cultivars of wheat in newly reclaimed sandy soils. Studied factors were irrigation levels based on the amount of water evapotranspiration (ET) (I1, I2, I3) and the application of compost types (Com1, Com2 and Com3) on four bread wheat cultivars. The parameters measured at each irrigation level were: heading date (day), plant height (cm2), number of spikes/m2, number of grains/spike, 1000-grain weight (g), grain yield (t/fed.), Biological yield (kg/fed.) and harvest index (%). The farmyard manure (Com3) gave the maximum values under irrigation shortages, reflected in producing the maximum values for traits measured in the 2020/2021 season as compared to (Com1) or (Com2) applications, which scored lower values for the traits for the different cultivars for wheat. The interaction (I1, I2) × Com3 × (Mis1, Mis2) led to a significant increase during both seasons for all the yield and yield components studied. A drip irrigation system at the level of 80% of ET and application of Com3 is recommended to optimize wheat productivity from the unit area. The savings in water irrigation would allow expansion of the cultivated area to decrease the gap between local crop production and local requirements.


Bee Pollen as a Functional Product – Chemical Constituents and Nutritional Properties
Khalid Alshallash, Gomaa Abolaban, Sam Elhamamsy, Ayman Zaghlool, Ali Nasr, Ashraf Nagib, Ahmed Abd El-Hakim, Abdullah Zahra, Ashraf Hamdy, and Ibrahim Taha
Wydawnictwo Naukowe Gabriel Borowski (WNGB)
Nutritional supplements play a role in promoting human protein synthesis, fitness recovery, and mental health protection. Pollen is considered a natural food with excellent nutritional value. The use of bee-gathered pollen as a nutritional supplement is now widespread around the world, and it is appreciated for its healing qualities. How - ever, depending on the floral species and the region of origin, pollen has a wide range of nutritional value. It was found that clover pollen had the highest protein content (31.4 g/100 g DM), while the lowest content was observed in maize pollen (21.3%). Eucalyptus pollen had the highest lipid amount (9.49 g/100 g DM), while clover pollen had the lowest content (7.46 g/100 g). Phytochemical analysis showed that eucalyptus pollen occupied the highest total antioxidant activity (67.02%), followed by clover (58.25%) then maize (52.18%), whereas clover pollen had the highest phenolic content (1165 mg GAE/100 gm), compared with the other pollen varieties (949.4 to 1073 mg - GAE/100 gm). The contents of branched-chain amino acids were 29, 33.3, and 38.4 mg/g for maize, eucalyptus, and clover respectively, representing 17.87, 18.44, and 16.53% of total amino acids. The contents of total essential amino acids (EAAs) were 61.8, 73.0, and 83.5 mg/g for maize, eucalyptus, and clover pollen, respectively. Only eucalyptus pollen ultimately met the minimum requirements of EAAs for adults. In contrast, the other two types of pollen contained at least 3–4 limiting amounts of the essential amino acids leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, and valine. In conclusion, pollen is a good, affordable source of nutrients that can be utilized as beneficial dietary supplements for human health.


Postharvest physiology and biochemistry of Valencia orange after coatings with chitosan nanoparticles as edible for green mold protection under room storage conditions
Khalid S. Alshallash, Mohamed Sharaf, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Muhammad Arif, Ashraf E. Hamdy, Sobhy M. Khalifa, Mohamed F. Hassan, Mostafa M. Abou ghazala, Ahmed Bondok, Mariam T. S. Ibrahim,et al.
Frontiers Media SA
Because of their unique features, nanomaterials have been proposed and have gained acceptance in postharvest applications in fruit. Increasing the storage life and improving the quality of Valencia oranges was investigated using nano-chitosan. A chitosan nanoparticle was prepared by using high-energy ball milling. Chitosan nanoparticles were characterized by Dynamic light scattering, FTIR spectroscopy and Surface morphology by transmission electron microscopy. Fully mature Valencia oranges were harvested and then coated with one of these concentrations (0.2, 0.4, and 0.8% nano-chitosan) and control. The fruits were stored under room storage conditions for 75 days. The quality parameters (fruit weight losses, fruit decay percentage, fruit firmness, total acidity, total soluble solids percentage and T.S.S./acid ratio, ascorbic acid content) were taken in biweekly intervals after 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 days. Beside the in vitro testing of antifungal activity of chitosan nanoparticles. According to the findings of the two succeeding seasons, the nano-chitosan 0.8% treatment showed the best effects and had the lowest rate of fruit weight loss, fruit deterioration, and T.S.S./acid ratio in comparison to the other treatments in both seasons. Furthermore, the 0.8% nano-chitosan reveled the highest levels of fruit hardness and fruit pulp firmness. Fruit weight loss, fruit deterioration, TSS, and TSS/acid ratio, as well as other metrics, were steadily elevated prior to the storage time. The best results were obtained when Valencia oranges fruits were treated with 0.8% nano-chitosan for 75 days at room temperature.


Magnetic Iron–Improved Growth, Leaf Chemical Content, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Chinese Mandarin Trees Grown under Soil Salinity Stress
Khadiga Alharbi, Khalid S. Alshallash, Ashraf E. Hamdy, Sobhy M. Khalifa, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Ahmed Sharaf, and Walid F. Abobatta
MDPI AG
Chinese mandarin fruits are an inexpensive and rich source of vitamin C. They have potential benefits in treating acute respiratory infections and mitigating inflammation in critical patients with COVID-19. In Egypt, citrus is the most important fruit tree but is sensitive to salinity stress, resulting in poor vegetative tree growth and reductions in productivity and fruit quality. Magnetic iron has emerged as a promising approach in the citrus tree industry, since it improves vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality and alleviates salinity stress in Chinese mandarin trees grown in soils suffering from high salt stress. This research is aimed at studying the influence of adding magnetic iron (as soil treatment) on tree canopy growth, yield, and fruit quality of ‘Chinese’ mandarin trees. Therefore, the treatments were as follows: 0, 250, 500, and or 750 g of magnetic iron.tree−1. Our results indicated that all applications of magnetic iron significantly improved tree canopy volume, leaf total chlorophyll, relative water content, yield (kg.tree−1), and the fruit physical and chemical characteristics of Chinese mandarin. In contrast, leaf Na and Cl content, (%), proline, and total phenolic content were decreased by magnetic iron soil treatments. In respect to vegetative growth, our results indicated that adding magnetic iron at the concentration 750 g.tree−1 caused the best values of tree canopy volume. A similar trend was noticed regarding yield. The increase in yield attained was nearly 19%; the best values were obtained when magnetic iron were used at 750 g.tree−1. In conclusion, the application of magnetic iron can lead to improved fruit production and fruit quality of Chinese mandarin trees grown in salinity stress conditions.


Hydrogel Improved Growth and Productive Performance of Mango Trees under Semi-Arid Condition
Khalid S. Alshallash, Mohamed Sharaf, Ashraf E. Hmdy, Sobhy M. Khalifa, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Ahmed Sharaf, Mariam T. S. Ibrahim, Khadiga Alharbi, and Amr Elkelish
MDPI AG
Nowadays, the production of new mango cultivars is increased in many countries worldwide. The soil application of hydrogel represents a novel approach in the fruit trees industry. This investigation aims to study the effect of adding hydrogel (as soil conditioner) on the growth and yield of Shelly cv. mango trees. The experimental groups were assigned to a control group and three other treated groups, including 250, 500, or 750 g hydrogel∙tree−1. The results demonstrated that all applications of hydrogel composite had higher vegetative growth parameters, yield, and fruit quality characteristics of Shelly cv. mango trees compared to the control. The treatment of 750 g hydrogel∙tree−1 had higher values of vegetative growth parameters such as the leaf area, shoot length and tree canopy volume, compared to the control group and the other treatments. Similarly, higher values for yield and fruit quality were observed in the treatment of 750 g hydrogel∙tree−1. In conclusion, different amounts of hydrogel agent can improve the production and fruit quality of Shelly cv. mango trees in arid and semi-arid conditions in a dose-dependent manner.


Kaolin Improves Photosynthetic Pigments, and Antioxidant Content, and Decreases Sunburn of Mangoes: Field Study
Ashraf E. Hamdy, Hosny F. Abdel-Aziz, Haitham El-khamissi, Nada Ibrahim AlJwaizea, Ahmed Abou El-Yazied, Samy Selim, Moataz M. Tawfik, Khadiga AlHarbi, Mohamed S. M. Ali, and Amr Elkelish
MDPI AG
The Keitt mango tree has a low canopy that leads to an increase in sunburned fruits. Hence, the fruit quality is markedly reduced due to the fruit being exposed to physiological disorders. The sunburn injury problem is common due to high levels of solar radiation and the low number of leaves, which minimizes the protection of small, newly formed fruits. Kaolin spray has emerged as a promising approach for mango trees since it improves vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality in new lands. This search aimed to study the influence of spraying kaolin on Keitt mango trees grafted on ‘Succary’ rootstock. The treatments were as follows: control, 2%, 4%, and 6% of kaolin. Our results indicated that the applications of kaolin significantly improved leaf area, tree canopy volume, photosynthesis pigments such as chlorophyll-a and b, carotenoids of leaf and yield (kg/tree), and the physical and chemical characteristics of Keitt mango cultivar in comparison with the control. A higher concentration of kaolin decreased the leaf content of antioxidants such as total phenolic, total flavonoid, CAT, POX, and PPO enzyme activities. Furthermore, the number of sunburned fruits was significantly reduced after the application of kaolin in comparison to control fruits. Regarding vegetative growth, our results indicated that adding kaolin at 6% enhanced the leaf surface area and tree canopy volume compared to the control and other treatments. A similar trend was noticed regarding yield and fruit quality, whereas the best values were obtained when kaolin was sprayed at a concentration of 6%. In conclusion, the application of kaolin can improve the production and fruit quality of Keitt mango trees by reducing the effects of adverse summer conditions.


Effect of pruning severity on yield and fruit quality of two Mandarin cultivars
A.E. Hamdy
International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

Biodegradable Nanoparticle Coating from Banana Peel, Chi-tosan, and Salicylic Acid Enhances Shelf Life of ‘Murcott’Fruit
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Salt stress tolerance of banana (Musa acuminata L.) cv. Grandinin in vitro
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Al-Azhar Journal of Agricultural Research 49 (1), 1-11 2024



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AE Mekky, MN Nashaat, S Mohamed, S M Shehata, W Abd-Elhamed, ...
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Effect of plant density and nanometric fertilization on the productivity of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crop grown in sandy soil.
K Maklad
Al-Azhar Journal of Agricultural Research 48 (3), 110-120 2023



The impact of bud load on berry quality, yield, and cluster compactness in H4 strain grapevines
AM Al-Saif, MA Fahmy, GA Baghdady, AMA El-Razik, EA Kabsha, ...
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Using chitosan nanoparticles and N-acetyl thiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid for olive trees efficiency raising, improving fruits properties and oil quality
KS Alshallash, IA Elnaggar, AN Abd El-Wahed, A Fahmy, AM Tawfeeq, ...
Brazilian Journal of Biology 83, e273643 2023



Uso de nanopartculas de quitosana e cido N-acetil tiazolidina 4-carboxlico para aumentar a eficincia das oliveiras, melhorando as propriedades dos frutos e a qualidade do leo
KS Alshallash, IA Elnaggar, AN Abd El-wahed, A Fahmy, AM Tawfeeq, ...
Brazilian Journal of Biology 83, e273643 2023



Improvement of Fruit Quality and Phytochemical Components of Pomegranate by Spraying with B₂O₃ and ZnO Nanoparticles
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AM Al-Saif, HF Abdel-Aziz, SM Khalifa, IA Elnaggar, AEN Abd El-wahed, ...
Agriculture 13 (9), 1720 2023



GA3 Enhances the Chemical and Physical Properties, Yield, and Reducing Compactness of H4 Grapevines
EA Kabsha, MA Fahmy, GA Bagdady, A Hamdy
Egyptian Journal of Chemistry 66 (8), 117-127 2023



Using deficit irrigation strategies and organic mulches for improving yield and water productivity of mango under dry environment conditions
A Alhashimi, AA Al-Huqail, MH Hashem, BMM Bakr, WME Fekry, ...
Agriculture 13 (7), 1415 2023



Effects of fogging system and nitric oxide on growth and yield of ‘naomi’mango trees exposed to frost stress
HF Abdel-Aziz, AE Hamdy, A Sharaf, AEN Abd El-wahed, IA Elnaggar, ...
Life 13 (6), 1359 2023



Utilization of jojoba oil and salicylic acid as postharvest treatment on storability and fruit quality of ‘Late Swelling’peach cultivar
HFAA Khalid S ALSHALLASH, Ibrahim A ELNAGGAR, Ashraf E HHMDY
Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 51 (2), 12999-12999 2023



GA₃ and Hand Thinning Improves Physical, Chemical Characteristics, Yield and Decrease Bunch Compactness of Sultanina Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.)
KS Alshallash, MA Fahmy, AM Tawfeeq, GA Baghdady, GA Abdrabboh, ...
Horticulturae 9 (2), 160 2023



Pruning Boosts Growth, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Old Valencia Orange Trees: A Field Study
A Sharaf, AE Hamdy
2023



Abd El-wahed
HF Abdel-Aziz, AE Hamdy, A Sharaf
Life 13, 1359 2023

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

Effect of GA3 and NAA on growth, yield and fruit quality of Washington navel orange
AEHANAEW H. A. Hifny, S.M. Khalifa
Egypt. J. Hort. 44 (1), 33-43 2017
Citations: 50



Bee pollen as a functional product–chemical constituents and nutritional properties
KS Alshallash, G Abolaban, SM Elhamamsy, A Zaghlool, A Nasr, A Nagib, ...
Journal of Ecological Engineering 24 (2), 173-183 2023
Citations: 26



Kaolin improves photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant content, and decreases sunburn of mangoes: Field study
AE Hamdy, HF Abdel-Aziz, H El-Khamissi, NI AlJwaizea, AA El-Yazied, ...
Agronomy 12 (7), 1535 2022
Citations: 25



Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization Added at Various Phenological Stages on Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Valencia Orange Trees
Hifny, Fahmy, Baghdady, Abdrabboh, Hamdy
Nature and Science 11 (12), 220-229 2013
Citations: 18



Effect of magnetic water on yield and fruit quality of some mandarin varieties
AE Hamdy, SM Khalifa, SA Abdeen
Ann Agric Sci 53, 657-666 2015
Citations: 16



Using deficit irrigation strategies and organic mulches for improving yield and water productivity of mango under dry environment conditions
A Alhashimi, AA Al-Huqail, MH Hashem, BMM Bakr, WME Fekry, ...
Agriculture 13 (7), 1415 2023
Citations: 15



Postharvest physiology and biochemistry of Valencia orange after coatings with chitosan nanoparticles as edible for green mold protection under room storage conditions
KS Alshallash, M Sharaf, HF Abdel-Aziz, M Arif, AE Hamdy, SM Khalifa, ...
Frontiers in Plant Science 13, 1034535 2022
Citations: 13



Hydrogel as a soil conditioner affecting the growth, yield, and fruit quality of ‘Murcott’mandarin trees under arid and semi-arid lands
AE Hamdy, S Khalifa, H AbdEl-Aziz
Al-Azhar Journal of Agricultural Research 45 (2), 76-85 2020
Citations: 13



Hydrogel Improved Growth and Productive Performance of Mango Trees under Semi-Arid Condition
AE Hamdy
Gels 8 (10) 2022
Citations: 12



Nano-enhanced growth and resilience strategies for pomegranate Cv. wonderful: Unveiling the impact of zinc and boron nanoparticles on fruit quality and abiotic stress management
AEN Abd El, SM Khalifa, MD Alqahtani, AM Abd–Alrazik, H Abdel-Aziz, ...
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 15, 100908 2024
Citations: 10



Effect of water stress on the growth, nutritional and biochemical status of two varieties of pomegranate seedlings
AE Hamdy, SM Khalifa, SS Shawer, AAG Mancy
Journal of Plant Production 7 (12), 1321-1329 2016
Citations: 9



Effect of Pruning severity on Yield and Fruit Quality of two Mandarin Cultivars
Hamdy
Acta Hort. 9 (2016), 0000 2016
Citations: 9



Pruning boosts growth, yield, and fruit quality of old Valencia orange trees: A field study
AM Al-Saif, HF Abdel-Aziz, SM Khalifa, IA Elnaggar, AEN Abd El-wahed, ...
Agriculture 13 (9), 1720 2023
Citations: 7



GA₃ and Hand Thinning Improves Physical, Chemical Characteristics, Yield and Decrease Bunch Compactness of Sultanina Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.)
KS Alshallash, MA Fahmy, AM Tawfeeq, GA Baghdady, GA Abdrabboh, ...
Horticulturae 9 (2), 160 2023
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Micro propagation of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) var. Zaghlol via direct organogenesis
GA Baghdady
Annals of Agricultural Science, Moshtohor 56 (4th ICBAA), 127-136 2018
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The impact of bud load on berry quality, yield, and cluster compactness in H4 strain grapevines
AM Al-Saif, MA Fahmy, GA Baghdady, AMA El-Razik, EA Kabsha, ...
Agronomy 13 (9), 2431 2023
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The effect of different processing methods on the behavior of minerals content in food products
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Journal of Ecological Engineering 24 (3) 2023
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Effect of CCC foliar spray on improvement of flowering and yield production of some olive cultivars
HA Hifny, MA Fahmy, MH Edriss, AE Hamdy
Al-Azhar J. Agric. Sci. Sector Res 6, 195-217 2009
Citations: 6



Improvement of Fruit Quality and Phytochemical Components of Pomegranate by Spraying with B₂O₃ and ZnO Nanoparticles
AM Al-Saif, IA Elnaggar, AEN Abd El-wahed, IM Taha, HF Abdel-Aziz, ...
Agronomy 13 (9), 2305 2023
Citations: 5



GA3 Enhances the Chemical and Physical Properties, Yield, and Reducing Compactness of H4 Grapevines
EA Kabsha, MA Fahmy, GA Bagdady, A Hamdy
Egyptian Journal of Chemistry 66 (8), 117-127 2023
Citations: 5