A field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Pharmaceutical Department, Agriculture college, Giza, Egypt to study the effect of partial substitution of mineral nitrogen fertilizer by biofertilizer and their effects on the growth, yield and chemical constituents of dill plant during the two successive seasons of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. Because of the great importance of volatile oil, its composition was also investigated in this study. Five strains of bacteria (1-Azotobacter chroococcum, 2-Azospirillum lipoferum, 3-Bacillus polymyxa, 4-Bacillus megatherium and 5-Pseudomonas fluorescens) were mixed in equal parts and used as biofertilizer in this experiment. The biofertilizer treatment was applied alone or in combination with 1/3, 2/3 or full recommended dose of mineral nitrogen fertilizer. The results indicated that applying biofertilizer treatment alone or in combination with chemical N fertilizer increased the growth, yield and chemical constituents of dill plant compared to the untreated control. The highest values of vegetative growth, oil yield, chlorophyll content and NPK percentages were recorded by the treatment of bio-fertilizer plus two third of recommended dose of nitrogen fertilizer. The lowest values in this respect were obtained by control plants during two seasons. The GC analysis of volatile oil indicated that the main components were carvone, limonene and apiol. These components were affected by biofertilization and chemical N treatments. Partial substitution of mineral nitrogen fertilizer by bio-fertilizer was recommended to increase the yield as well as the quality of dill plant. By applying the treatment of bio-fertilizer plus two third of recommended dose of nitrogen fertilizer we can save the quantity of N chemical fertilizer used and obtain high quality product. The results of this study gave also the possibility of shifting toward clean agriculture.

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The nematicidal action of three seed mill wastes from cress (Eruca sativa Mill.), castor (Ricinus communis L.) and linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) as soil additives were tested at three rates (on base lower rate, recommended rate and higher rate), under field conditions at the research and production station of the National Research Centre, El-Nubaria district, El-Beheira governorate, Western Nile Delta region, Egypt, to study the physiological influence of these substances on potato yield, their role against Meloidogyne arenaria infection and the alkaloidal content. All the evaluated treatments significantly ( p 6 0.05 and/or 0.01) reduced the numbers of juveniles in soil and in roots, number of galls, egg masses, gall and egg mass indices and consequently rate of nematode build-up as compared to untreated plants(control). Statistical differences in the nematode stages were found within and between treatments. The percentage of reduction in the nematode stages was comparatively more with using of Linseed mill wastes followed by castor seed mill wastes, then cress seed mill wastes. Regarding to the potato yield, all the evaluated amendments achieved significantly (p 6 0.05 and/or 0.01) increased, total contents of alkaloidal content as compared to untreated plants. On the other hand, all the evaluated amendments achieved significantly (p 6 0.05 and/or 0.01) decreased the solanine values as compared to untreated plants. These results indicate that some natural compounds may be used as natural nematicides in controlling M. arenaria nematode and improving the quality and yield of potato plants.

Due to the ever increasing pressure on cultivated land the importance of intercropping in farming practices has been recognized. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of intercropping ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum lam) with fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.). For this purpose, a field experiment was arranged based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the experimental farm of faculty of agriculture Cairo University at Giza, Egypt during two seasons of 2015 and 2016. The experimental treatments were planting patterns (sole crop of rye or fenugreek and intercropping ratios of 1 rye: 1 fenugreek, 2 rye: 1 fenugreek and 1 rye: 2 fenugreek). Results showed that intercropping system had positive effects on ryegrass yield. Moreover, the planting ratio of 2 rye: 1 fenugreek gave the maximum values of ryegrass fresh and dry yield in both cuts compared with the other treatments of the sole crop and the other intercropping ratios in the first and second season, respectively. The application of sole crop had the highest fenugreek fresh and dry yield and seed yield too in both seasons compared with other treatments, respectively. While, the maximum significant levels of chemical contents (oil and protein percentage) of fenugreek seeds were found with the sole fenugreek crop and the intercropping ratio of 1 rye: 2fenugreek, respectively as compared with the other treatments but the differences between the fenugreek sole crop and the other studied intercropping system in the percentage of trigoniline were insignificant in both seasons, respectively. The maximum significant values of competitive ratio (CR) and aggresivity (A) for rye grass crop was found in the pattern ratio of 1rye: 2 fenugreek in both seasons, respectively. While the same situation was recorded with fenugreek crop in the pattern ratio of 2 rye: 1 fenugreek in both seasons, respectively. The highest total land equivalent ratio (LER) (3.08 and 2.98 for the first and second seasons, respectively) was obtained by sowing the crops in the intercrop ratio of 2 rye: 1 fenugreek and the lowest total LER (2.57and 2.48 in both seasons, respectively) was obtained by using the intercrop ratio of 1 rye: 1 fenugreek. In addition, all intercropping treatments in both seasons, respectively gave values of LER for rye grass or fenugreek or both of them more than one. These findings suggest that intercropping of fenugreek and ryegrass increased the total productivity per unit area.