The application of bio-fertilizers and organic fertilizer is considered a promising alternative for mineral fertilizers to decrease the production costs and environmental pollution with good yield. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the benefits of rice straw compost, humic acid and effective microorganism alone or in combination as an alternative to mineral-N fertilizer on the growth, foliar NPK content and yield of the local variety of bottle gourd. The study was carried out at Barramoon experimental farm, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, during the two summer seasons of 2012 and 2013. The experiment consisted of eight treatments of soil amendments and NPK fertilizers arranged in a complete randomized blocks design with three replicates. The study's treatments had significant effects on all studied traits in both seasons. The lowest values of these traits were recorded with the 75% recommended dose of NPK fertilizers with humic acid treatment. Whereas, the treatment of 75% recommended dose of NPK fertilizers in combination with rice straw compost, humic acid and effective microorganism had the highest values of foliage dry weight, number of leaves, stem length and number of fruits per plant as well as seeds weight per fruit, 100 seed weight and seed yield per plant and per hectare. So, this treatment could be recommended as an alternative method for bottle gourd fertilization. It might give the chance for increasing NPK-use efficiency and producing satisfactory and good seed yield with keeping the health and safety of human and environment.

tem canker and black scurf caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a problem facing potato production. In this work, under greenhouse conditions, three compatible bioagents i.e., Trichoderma koningii and T. harzianum (in mixture) and Bacillus subtilis ATCC®11774™ were evaluated individually and in combinations for disease suppression and further effect on plant growth of potato plants. Radial growth of R. solani was inhibited by the two Trichoderma strains and B. subtilis in dual Petri plate assay. In two experiments, significant plant protection was achieved when either B. subtilis added to tubers or Trichoderma mixture added to the soil. However, soil application with Trichoderma either singly or in combination with tuber bacterization demonstrated the greatest suppression of cankers on potato plants. With respect to plant growth promotion, the greatest proportional increases in plant height were elicited by tuber bacterization combined with soil application of Trichoderma mixture. Dual tuber treatments by Trichoderma mixture with soil applications of bacteria led to the highest increase of plant stolons and leaf numbers in both experiments. Both combined applications and sole soil application by T. mixture recorded the same significant effect in increasing shoot fresh and dry weights of potato plants as well as improved tuber yield and some biochemical parameters (chlorophyll content, total phenol, peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase contents) significantly. This research suggests incorporation of such bioagents to suppress Rhizoctonia diseases and increase the productivity of potato.