STUDIES ON THE INDUCTION OF SYSTEMIC ACQUIRED RESISTANCE (SAR) AGAINST SOME TOMATO FUNGAL DISEASES BY CHEMICAL ACTIVATORS

Abstract

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who helped me during the entire course of my doctoral research. First and foremost, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude and thanks to my graduate advisor Prof. Dr. Ibrahim El-Samra, who has guided me, stimulated me, and helped me in countless ways through my graduate studies. He treated me more as a friend than a student. I received tremendous moral support from him whenever troubles struck in my research. In my culture teachers are respected as much as one's father, and Prof. Dr. El-Samra has certainly earned that respect from me. His enthusiasm about science in general and getting projects and papers done was a great learning experience which is an asset for me and will serve me as a model during my future career. His attitude towards trying new techniques and learning wide array of subjects was another positive note while working in his l1aboratory. He encouraged me to have enthusiasm for research and to keep in touch with the latest trends in science. He provi4es me this opportunity to enhance myself professionally and intellectually. I learned a lot from him especially on the applied aspects of Plant resistance. I am also thankful to him for extending scholastic guidance, constructive criticism and generous treatment during the entire course of investigations. Most important of all I respect him for his honesty, always welcoming attitude for discussion, and providing excellent guidance in research. I will always be in debt for your guidance and kindness, thank you. I gratefully acknowledge to my co-advisor Prof. Dr. Mostafa Amer for his advice, supervision, and crucial contribution from the first proposal steps, which made him a backbone of this research and so to this thesis. His involvement with his originality has triggered and nourished my intellectual maturity that I will benefit from, for a long time to come. I am highly indebted to his generous help during the courses of study and valuable teaching of plant pathology. He taught me various aspects of plant pathology in a simple and fun way and I learned a lot about presentation skills from his classes and amazed on his photographic skills. I am grateful in every possible way and hope to keep up our collaboration in the future. My courteous thanks are due to my co-advisor Prof. Dr. Mohamed Reffat for his wonderful guidance on aspects of molecular phytopathology. I cannot forget his generous help and constructive suggestions provided during the entire course of this investigation. I am indebted to assistant Prof. Dr. Sanna Kabeil of the City for Scientific and Technology Applications for her gracious guidance and friendly chitchat. I also would like to thank her for the generous help on letting me use her lab to get some hands-on on molecular techniques. She allowed and helped me to conduct the protein analysis which was an important part of this research. I would especially like to thank Dr. Tarek for helping me to conduct the salicylic acid extraction procedure and for use of his HPLC. I would like to thank entire faculty and staff of higher educational studies, for their support and kind help whenever I needed. I also appreciate the kind service of the head Prof. Dr. Ahmed Khalid of the Department of Agricultural Botany and his staff. I am grateful to all members of the Plant Pathology Laboratory for their assistants and our friendship. My thanks also go to my fellow graduate students and friends. Most of all, I would like to gratefully acknowledge to my family; my father, my mother whom sacrificed themselves for our family, my siblings support, my wife who is half of my life and my permanent companion, my son who is my little hero, and my daughters whom makes me smile. They encouraged and supported me all through this investigation for which I do not have words to thank them. I have to thank my motherland 'Libya' for keeping the spirit within me all through my life. I will certainly help those in need once I accomplish my goals. I thank God for being with us always.