Hosny Fathy Abdel-Aziz

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.

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.

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.

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.

Improvement of Selected Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Parameters of Banana (Musa acuminata L.) Using Potassium Silicate under Drought Stress Condition Grown in vitro
Hosny Abdel Aziz, Mohamed Sharaf, Magdy Omar, Ahmed Abou El-Yazied, Nada Ibrahim AlJwaizea, Shaimaa Ismail, Mohamed M. A. Omar, Khadiga Alharbi, Amr Elkelish, and Moataz Tawfik
Computers, Materials and Continua (Tech Science Press)

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.

Influence of salt stress on morphological and biochemical characteristics of peach (Prunus persica L.) Nemaguard rootstock in vitro