Category: Volume 74
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Reproductive performance of Thouroughbred horses bed in Tunisia : What results compared to the Arab horses ?

Performances de reproduction des chevaux pur-sang Anglais élevés en Tunisie : Quels résultats obtenus par rapport au pur-sang Arabe ?

NAJJAR A.¹

ARARI E.¹

MOTAMRI Y.²

KHADRAOUI A.²

¹Laboratoire des Ressources Génétiques Animales et Alimentaires, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, Université de Carthage, Tunisie.

²Haras privé, Borj El Amri, Tunisie.

Abstract - The aim of the study was to determine the reproductive parameters of Thoroughbred horses and to compare them with those of Arabian horses from the same stud farm. Data from 2014 to 2018 of Thoroughbred and Arabian horses were collected from rearing documents: a total number of 323 mares were exploited during the retrospective study during the 5 breeding seasons (140 Thoroughbred and 183 Arab mares). In addition, 20 Thoroughbred mares and 30 Arab mares were followed during the breeding season of 2019. The pregnancy duration, the foaling - foaling interval, the abortion rate and the apparent fertility were determined for the 2 breeds in the retrospective study. As for the study during the 2019 breeding season, the duration of foaling estrus and the duration of cyclic estrus were determined in the 2 breeds. The results showed that the pregnancy duration observed for the two breeds are similar. The foaling - foaling interval was shorter in the Thoroughbred. The Arab mares had the highest abortion rates than Thoroughbred mares. The results of the apparent fertility of the Arab mares were close to those observed in Thoroughbred mares. The duration of foaling estrus was higher in Arab mares compared to that of Thoroughbred mares. It is the same for the duration of the cyclic estrus which was higher in the Arab mares than Thoroughbred ones. It appears from the retrospective study that most of the reproductive parameters did not vary between the groups of Arab and Thorughbred mares. Only the abortion rate has been higher in the Arab group over the years, and the causes are not identified in the stud farm. However, the duration of estrus in the Thoroughbred mares are shorter than the Arab ones.

Keywords: Thoroughbred, reproduction parameters, fertility, estrus.

Category: Volume 74
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A Survey of Desertification in Al-Hira and its Surroundings Areas in Libya

MOHAMED RAMADHANE EL ZARROUG

ISSAM DAGHARI

AHMED ALI ABOU ZAKHAR

Green Team Lab. Tunisian National Institute of Agronomy, IRESA, Carthage University, Tunisia

Abstract - In Libya, about 90% of the country is classified as desert land within the range of the Sahara and the remaining 10% is threatened by desertification. The study area of Al-Hira is one of the most important pastoral area in the plain of Al Djfara in the northwest of Libya and it was until recently considered a good pasture zone where there is vegetation that protects the soil against erosion. The study area covers an area of approximately 269,938 hectares. The goal of this study is to analyze the status of desertification in El Hira study area and the extent of its severity and its impact on the vegetation cover as well as the environmental components of the area. Information and data related to the study area were collected such as basic maps, topography, soil characteristics and climate data. Average annual rain is about 200 mm. Organic matter rate is very low, less than 0.5%. Average filed capacity is very low, about 6%. The analysis of satellite images (Landsat) for the two years 1976 and 2005 indicated the degree of the change that occurred on vegetation, desertification and urbanization.A clear increase in desertified areas and a decrease in the natural vegetation cover in the area were observed.

Keywords: Libya, Al-Hira region, natural vegetation decrease, apparition of sand dunes

Category: Volume 74
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Pathogenicity of Botrytis sp. isolates on Vicia faba based on two different methods

AZZA RHAIEM^{1 2}

¹ Laboratory of Microorganisms, National Gene Bank (Banque Nationale de Gènes), Boulevard of the leader Yasser Arafat, ZI Charguia-1, 1080 Tunis, Tunisia.

² Laboratoire de Protection des Végétaux (LPV) relevant du Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique

Abstract - Pathogenicity of 20 isolates of Botrytis sp., 15 of which were isolated from different locations in Tunisia, was studied based on the reaction of five Vicia faba genotypes with known differential reaction to the disease. ANOVA of the chocolate spot disease infection over time revealed highly significant (p=0.001) differences among isolates and isolatesgenotypes interaction. These differences were observed in greenhouse experiment using whole potted plants as well as in vitro assay using detached leaves. The twenty tested isolates were classified into 6 virulence groups based on genotypes reaction under greenhouse conditions. While the tested genotypes of Vicia faba reacted differently to B. fabae isolates, with results ranging from high susceptibility to moderate resistance, they have demonstrated a high resistance to all isolates of B. cinerea confirming the idea stating that this species is not important in disease development. Significant correlations were obtained between disease assessment under greenhouse conditions and vitro testing when a discriminating scale was used for detached leaves. However, the relationship between the two evaluation methods is likely to be not obvious and a combination of different methods should probably be adopted in order to have accurate estimation of the pathogenicity.

Keywords: Chocolate spot, Faba bean, Botrytis fabae, B. cinerea, pathogenicity

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