Books by Mohamed Abdel-Raheem

Tomato is cultivated throughout the world. China, USA, India, Turkey and Egypt are the top five tomato producing countries in the world. In India, tomato is grown on an area of 3.5 × 105 ha with an annual production of 5.3 × 105 MT. Bihar, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Assam are important tomato growing states in India. Tomato is a versatile vegetable and is used in a variety of ways. It is consumed fresh in salads and sandwiches. No culinary preparation is complete without the addition of tomato. Most of the tomato produced in the world is processed into sauce, puree, catch-up, juice etc. Tomato is also one of the important sources of lycopene, a powerful natural anti-oxidant used in pharmaceuticals. Tomato was introduced into Europe shortly after 1521, when Spanish explorer Cortez conquered Mexico. The first tomatoes introduced into the Europe were yellow coloured and the red types were introduced many years later. From Spain, the tomato spread to Italy, France and other European countries. The Italians grew it around 1550.

Beauveria bassiana is a fungus that grows naturally in soils throughout the world and acts as a parasite on various arthropod species, causing white muscardine disease; it thus belongs to the entomopathogenic fungi. It is being used as a biological being used as a biological insecticide to control a number of pests such as termites, thrips, whiteflies, aphids and different beetles. In culture, B. bassiana grows as a white mold.On most common cultural media, it produces many dry, powdery conidia in distinctive white spore balls. Each spore ball is composed of a cluster of conidiogenous cells. The conidiogenous cells of B. bassiana are short and ovoid, and terminate in a narrow apical extension called a rachis.The rachis elongates after each conidium is produced, resulting in a long zig-zag extension.The conidia are single-celled, haploid, and hydrophobic.The insect disease caused by the fungus is called white muscardine disease.When the microscopic spores of the fungus come into contact with the body of an insect host; they germinate, penetrate the cuticle, and grow inside, killing the insect within a matter of days.

There are fungus species that can infect and kill insects. These fungi are called insect pathogenic fungi or entomopathogenic fungi. These fungi are very specific to insects, often to particular insect species, and do not infect animals or plants. Most insect- pathogenic fungi need humid conditions for infection and development but some fungus species can also infect insects when it is dry.When an insect has been killed by a fungus, the fungus emerges from the insect¿s body to produce spores that can sometimes be seen as a ¿dusty¿ or ¿cottony¿ appearance. When you find many insects dead and covered with fungus, you can consider making your own bio-insecticide from these dead insects. Collect as many as you can find in the field, put them in a jar with water, crush them a little and stir well. This will release fungus spores into the water. Filter the water slightly to remove large insect parts. The remaining solution can be used to test Its Spray the solution over insects that are placed in a jar. Check if these insects become infected over the next days. Spray another jar of insects with pure water as a control.

Arthropods are probably the most successful of all animals. They are found in every type of habitat and in all regions of the world. They feed on a wide variety of plant and animal materials and have been known as major causes of disease for centuries. Insects are referred to in the Bible as well as in Chinese, Greek, Roman and other historical writings. Insect-transmitted diseases have killed more soldiers than all military actions combined. Fleas, lice and mosquitoes infect humans and domesticated animals directly or indirectly with the organisms of many dangerous diseases. Arthropod stings or bites are occasionally fatal to humans. Their germ-laden saliva or contaminated bodies also are potential sources of disease transmission. Arthropods, especially insects, are vital players in the transmission of certain diseases to humans.

Reptiles are ectothermic or cold-blooded, which means they cannot control their own body temperature. They must work with their environment to increase or decrease their body temperature. Basking in the sun raises their body temperature, and they move faster when warm.Take care with pet reptiles and amphibians.Healthy reptiles and amphibians can carry Salmonella and other germs that make people sick-especially young children. Take steps to keep you and your family healthy!Many people think that Salmonella infections are caused only by contaminated food, but you can also get infected by handling reptiles, which include turtles, lizards, and snakes, and amphibians like frogs, and salamanders.