http://148.72.244.84/xmlui/handle/123456789/17 2026-07-07T13:31:27Z http://148.72.244.84/xmlui/handle/xmlui/17204 The Effectiveness of Smoking Against the Varroa destructor Mite Using Certain Medicinal Plants in Honey Bee Hives (Apis mellifera) Tareq Saadi, Abbas Al-Hayali; Fadel Abbas, Qader; Hussein Ali, Mutney Al-Anbaki One of the most deadly pests of honey bees (Apis mellifera) is the Varroa destructor mite. The study aims to test the effect of four medicinal plants: Sodom Apple Calotropis procera, Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus, Camphor Eucalyptus globulus, and Wormwood Artemisia vulgaris, as eco-friendly substances through smoking to combat Varroa mites. Plant leaf powders were used at 20 g/ hive by using a smoker at 8 puffs/ hive, because exposure to more can harm the beehive. Fallen and dead Varroa mites were collected after (2, 4 and 6) days of smoking for treatments, by replacing old mite counting trays with new ones. The highest mite loss rate was 47.11 mites/hive, which represents all mites dropped for exposure periods of (2, 4, and 6) days when fumigated with E. globulus, while it was 15 mites/hive in the control treatment. Decrease in the shedding rate was observed over time, reaching 70.24%, 58.82%, and 31.65% mite/treatment after 2, 4, and 6 days respectively. The infection rate of honeybee brood decreased to 8% after treatment compared to 59.66% before treatment in the case of E. globulus, and brood growth increased by between 4.94% and 23.33% after 21 days of exposure, in the control group and in the case of E. globulus, respectively. We can infer from the results the effectiveness of the method of smoking plants used in this study in reducing or limiting mite density in honey bee colonies. 2026-06-30T00:00:00Z http://148.72.244.84/xmlui/handle/xmlui/17203 Effect of Agro-Ecology, Source, and Beehive Type on Beeswax Quality Sisay, Ayalew; Tadesse, Amare; Tewodros, Alemu Beeswax is produced by honeybees used for various purposes. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of agro-ecology, hive type and beeswax source on beeswax quality. A total of 18 samples were collected from different sources, altitudes, and hive types. Data were collected on 7 major quality parameters (melting point, refractive index, ash content, total volatile content, acid content, saponification value, and ester content). We followed the Ethiopian laboratory standard to analysis the beeswax quality parameters. The study evaluated beeswax quality in comparison with the national and international standards. The mean values of the parameters were 62.42 ± 0.44 0C, 1.44 ± 0.01, 0.14 ± 0.07%, 1.44 ± 0.3%, 25.43 ± 2.15 mg/g, 95.42 ± 5.1 mg/g, and 70.9 ± 6 mg/g for melting point, refractive index, ash content, total volatile matter, acid value, saponification value, and ester value, respectively. Majority of the parameters were within the acceptable limits set by Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and European standards. However, ester value from crude honey extract (68.68 mg/g) and lowland (66.7 mg/g) were lower than the lower limit (70 mg/g) set by the standards. Hive type did not show difference in quality among the samples (p≥0.05); however, agro-ecology and beeswax sources had effects on some of the quality parameters (p≤0.05). Beeswax of the study area generally was good quality, meeting most of the national and international standards. The sub-standard in ester value indicated quality threat requiring further investigation using advanced techniques. 2026-06-30T00:00:00Z http://148.72.244.84/xmlui/handle/xmlui/17202 Effect of Spraying Boron and Chelated Zinc on Some Chemical Characteristics of Three Date Palms Ahmed Thamer, Homed; Mohammed Dhahir, Abdulhadi; Mohammed Abbas, Hameed; Mohammed Taha, Haraz Date palm is one of the most important fruits due to it contains of minerals and vitamins thus the addition of nutrients such as boron and chelated zinc can improve fruit quality. To investigate the effect of zinc (Zn) and boron (B) on fruit quality, the Zn and B were spraying in chelated form. The treatments were applied at two stages: one week before, and one week after pollination with the 'Simsimi' male cultivar in 2025. The experiment included 12 treatments resulting from the interaction of two factors: the first factor being three female varieties (Zhadi, Khistawi, and Tabarzel), and the second factor being a combination of boron and chelated zinc (control, boron 1.5 mg L-1, chelated zinc 50 mg L-1, boron 1.5 mg L-1 + chelated zinc 50 mg L-1). Spraying was conducted twice during the growing season. The experiment was carried out in factorial experiment with three replications. The study concludes that the use of a combined foliar spray of boron and chelated zinc is significantly increased total sugars and chlorophyll around 83.25% and 15.67% respectively. The Zhadi variety outperforms by giving the highest percentage of reduced sugars (65.38%) while the Khistawi variety was significantly superior in all the other characteristics. The results showed that spraying with zinc significantly affected on leaves content of chlorophyll and fruit content of nitrogen. The non-reduced sugar increased when spraying boron in khistawi. The combination of zinc and boron resulted in increasing protein, reduced and non-reduced sugar, and potassium in the fruits. 2026-06-30T00:00:00Z http://148.72.244.84/xmlui/handle/xmlui/17201 The Dynamics of Irrigated Agriculture Using Geographic Information Systems and Google Earth in the Tafrata Plain (Northeast Morocco) Smail, Bouguelba; Mohamed, El kallouchi Irrigation plays a fundamental role in sustaining agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions where rainfall remains insufficient and irregular. This study aims to analyse the spatial and temporal dynamics of irrigated areas over the last three decades. The methodological approach is based on the use of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from satellite imagery for the years 1992, 2012, and 2022, combined with Google Earth images, and supported by field verification to ensure the accuracy of the results. The analysis reveals a significant expansion of irrigated agricultural areas in the plain. Irrigated land increased by approximately 2,282 hectares, with an average annual expansion rate of about 394 hectares. Between 2012 and 2022, irrigated agricultural areas reached 10,977 hectares, reflecting a marked acceleration in agricultural development during the last decade. The results also indicate a notable increase in fruit tree plantations between 2006 and 2023, Between 2006 and 2023, the number of agricultural holdings dedicated to fruit trees increased from 4,765 to 5,578, representing a growth of about 17.1%. Olive-related exploitations accounted for more than 95% of the total. Spatial analysis highlights a clear concentration of irrigated farms near surface water resources, groundwater reserves, and fertile soils. These dynamics reflect profound socio-spatial transformations driven largely by recurrent drought conditions, leading to a transition from traditional pastoral systems toward modern irrigated agriculture, this transformation has also intensified pressure on groundwater resources, particularly through the increasing drilling of wells, raising important challenges for sustainable water management and regional agricultural sustainability. 2026-06-30T00:00:00Z