A research team from the College of Agriculture has published two scientific papers in a global journal indexed within the Scopus database. The papers were presented at the Fifth International Scientific Conference on Modern Technologies in Agricultural Sciences and were published by IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science.

A research team from the College of Agriculture at the University of Diyala, consisting of master’s student Ghazwan Ibrahim Hamid and his supervisor, Assistant Professor Dr. Hassan Hadi Mustafa, from the Department of Soil and Water Resources, has published two scientific papers in a global journal indexed within the Scopus database. The papers are titled: “Effect of Enriching Vermicompost with Azotobacter and Bacillus Bacteria and Foliar Spraying with Azotobacter on Some Chemical Characteristics of the Soil Planted with Sunflower Plants” and “Effect of Enriching Vermicompost with Chemical and Biological Fertilizers on the Growth and Yield of Sunflower.”

The studies involved the use of vermicompost, enriched with nitrogen-fixing Azotobacter bacteria and phosphorus-solubilizing Bacillus bacteria, as well as foliar spraying with Azotobacter on sunflower plants. The effects of these factors on soil and plant characteristics were examined, with the results showing that enriching vermicompost with Azotobacter and Bacillus, along with Azotobacter foliar spraying, improved soil properties, enhanced nutrient availability, and positively impacted the vegetative and yield characteristics of the sunflower plants.

This scientific endeavor aligns with the priorities of achieving sustainable development goals by reducing the use of mineral fertilizers, promoting environmentally friendly organic fertilizers, and utilizing beneficial microorganisms to preserve soil quality and prevent its degradation.