Broomrape is a determining factor for faba bean cultivation in Egypt especially under sandy soil conditions. For this reason two field experiments were conducted in naturally infested fields with broomrape under sandy soil conditions at Ismailia Agricultural Research Station, Ismailia governorate during 2014/15 and 2015/16 winter seasons to study the effect of degree interaction between three faba bean varieties namely Giza843, Misr3 and Giza 3, two seeding rates at 30 and 60kg seed/fed. and two broomrape control treatments namely Roundup twice at 75 cc/fed. and untreated check on broomrape management and faba bean productivity. A split split plot design with three replicates was used, faba bean varieties were assigned to the main plots and seeding rates were allocated in sub plots, while weed control treatments were distributed randomly in sub sub plots. Results revealed that both faba bean varieties Misr3 and Giza843 exhibited significant decrease in numbers and weight of broomrape spikes/m2 estimated by 87.0 and 91.0% & 49.2 and 53.3 % in 2014/15 winter season and by 86.1 and 90.6% & 47.9 and 54.5 % in 2015/16 winter season, respectively as compared with the susceptible variety Giza 3. Faba bean varieties Misr3 and Giza843 significantly increased faba bean yield and its components in both seasons as compared with variety Giza 3. Seed rate of 30kg/fed. significantly decreased the number and weight of broomrape spikes/m2 by 16.8 and 11.5% in 2014/15 winter season and by 15.3 and 18.0% in 2015/16 winter season, respectively as compared to seed rate of 60kg/fed. Seed rate of 30kg/fed. significantly increased faba bean yield components in both seasons except plant height and seed yield (ardab/fed.) which significantly decreased with seed rate of 30kg/fed. in both seasons as compared to seed rate of 60kg/fed. Roundup applied twice significantly decreased the number and dry weight of broomrape spikes/m2 by 75.2 and 73.1% in the first seasons and by 72.6 and 69.8% in the second season, respectively, as compared with untreated check. Roundup applied twice significantly increased faba bean yield and its components in both seasons as compared with untreated check. The increases in seed yield (ardab/fed.) were 89.1 and 86.3% in the first and second seasons, respectively, as compared with untreated check. Analysis of the role of studied broomrape control measures and their possible integration was analyzed and correlation between broomrape infestation levels with faba bean seed yield was negative. Thus, from this study the best control package for growing faba bean in sandy soil infested with broomrape is by planting Misr 3 or Giza 843 cultivars through November with 2 sprays of Roundup at 30 kg/seeding rate in infested fields with broomrape in Ismailia area.

Two field experiments were conducted at Gemmeiza Agric. Res. Station, Gharbia Governorte, Egypt, during 2015 and 2016 summer seasons. The objective of this work was to study the effect of nitrogen fertilizer rates and small-flower umbrella (Cyperus difformis L.) competition on broadcast rice productivity and nutrient uptake. Each experiment included eighteen treatments. (The combination of three nitrogen fertilizer rates 50, 70 and 90 kg N fed -1 , and six of Cyperus difformis L. densities, i.e., zero, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 100 (naturally infestation) plant m -2 ). A split plot design, with four replications, was used. The results revealed that increasing nitrogen rates increased significantly the studied broadcast rice growth parameters, yield and its components, in both seasons. Where the application of 70 and 90 kg N fed -1 increased grain yield by 11.45 and 18.91 % in the first season and 12.92 and 18.92 % in the second season, respectively, compared to the lowest nitrogen fertilizer rate. Also, increasing nitrogen fertilizer rates had significant effect on most of NPK % of both broadcast rice and Cyperus difformis L. plants at 60 and 80 days after sowing. N, P and K % decreased with growth in both broadcast rice and Cyperus difformis L. plants and were higher in Cyperus difformis L. than broadcast rice in N% showing that Cyperus difformis L. plants is a major competitor of broadcast rice plants for N nutrient. Moreover, the addition of nitrogen fertilizer rates significant affected N, P and K %, NPK uptake and protein% in broadcast rice grain. Application of 70 and 90 kg N fed -1 increased protein % in grain broadcast rice by 9.54 % and 11.23 % respectively in the second season, compared to 50 kg N fed -1 . On the contrary, increasing Cyperus difformis L. density m -2 had an adverse effect on broadcast rice growth, yield and its components in both seasons. Increasing number of Cyperus difformis L. plants from 10 to 100 m -2 reduced the grain yield by 5.37 to 47.43 % in the first season and 7.98 to 48.88 %, in the second season compared to Cyperus difformis L. free treatment. Positive significant effects were detected for Cyperus difformis L. density m -2 on N, P and K % of both broadcast rice and Cyperus difformis L. plants at 60 and 80 days after sowing as well as broadcast rice grain contents of N, P and K and protein in both seasons. Increasing Cyperus difformis L. plants from 10 to 100 m -2 decreased grain protein % from 0.17 to 2.11 % in the first season and 0.17 and 1.09 % in the second season compared with Cyperus difformis L. free plots. The interaction between 90 kg N fertilization rate and zero Cyperus difformis L. plant m -2 gave the highest broadcast rice grain yield (4.21 and 4.15 ton fed -1 ) compared with 50 kg N fertilization rate and 100 Cyperus difformis L. plant m -2 which gave (1.84 and 1.71 ton fed -1 ) in the first and second seasons, respectively. The main findings of this investigation indicate that Cyperus difformis L. weed should be controlled to avoid broadcast rice grain yield loss...

Common cocklebur is considered a strong weed competitor to maize and distributed all over the world and Egypt. Knowledge about the nature of competition to maize is the key of planning weed management crop strategies in this crop. Then, the aim of this investigation was to determine the economic threshold of common cocklebur for maize. Where two field experiments was conducted in naturally heavily infested soil with common cocklebur at Mallawy Agriculture Research Station, Agriculture Research Centre, EL-Minia Governorate during 2014 and 2015 seasons.A split-split-plot design with three replicates was used. These experiments included three factors, main plot included two maize hybrids i.e, SC 166 ( Single cross 166) and SC 173 ( Single cross 173) , the sub plot three corn densities of 20000, 24000 and 30000 plants feddan -1 and the sub sub plot were randomly to common cocklebur densities of 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 plants m -2 .The main finding of this research show that sown SC173 was high competitive than SC 166 to common cocklebur and reduce its dry weight and gave highest yield and yield component of maize.Also, increasing maize density reduced in common cocklebur dry weight, ear length, ear weight, grains number ear -1 , 100-grain weight, plant height and LAI. Maize density at 24000 plant fed -1 gave the highest grain yield (ard fed -1 ) in both seasons compared to other maize densities.So, increasing common cocklebur density, decreased common cocklebur dry weight, maize grain yield and yield components such as plant height, leaf area index (LAI), ear length, ear weight, grains number ear -1 , 100-grain weight and grain yield of maize (ardab faddan -1 ).Maize yield losses at 1, 4 and 8 common cocklebur plants m -2 reached to 5.2, 22.0 and 44.4 %, respectively, as compared zero common cocklebur plants m -2 in the first season and calculated from regression equation by 4.9, 21.0 and 42.5 %, respectively, in the second season.The main findings of this investigation refer that common cocklebur weed should be managed to avoid maize grain yield losses due to its competition through growing maize vigor hybrid such as SC173 with proper plant density at 24000 plant fed -1 and continues hand pulling any emerged common cocklebur seedling or to use selective recommended herbicides.

During the last three decades pre-emergence soil acting herbicides were used widely for weed control in maize, but for the role of some of them in environmental pollution, world tended to use new chemical group as post emergence herbicides at reduced rates to limit herbicide inputs in environment as alternatives to such mentioned herbicides. For this reason two field experiments were conducted at Mallawy agriculture research station -El-Minia Governorate, Egypt, during 2014 and 2015 summer seasons, to evaluate three spray volumes using two nozzle types and four Maister power as a new post emergence herbicide rates to control weeds in maize field and their effects on maize productivity. Each experiment included twenty four combination treatments arranged in split-split plot design where spray three volumes i.e. 200, 150, 100 litre/faddan were located in the main plots, two nozzle type i.e. TK1 and flat fan nozzles were located in sub-plots and three Maister power herbicide rates i.e. 500 as recommended rate and reduced rates of 400 and 300 cc/faddan as reduced rates as well as untreated check were located in sub sub-plots. The main findings showed that spray Maister power herbicide by 150 L/faddan water carrier is good from view point of total annual weed control which were reduced by 11.2 and 12 % in 2014 and 2015 seasons, respectively, as compared with 200L/faddan. Spray volume can be increased to 200 L water/faddan in case of grassy weeds dominance in flora composition which existedin experimental fields without any harmful effect on maize plants. TK1 nozzle is preferable than flat fan nozzle type which characterized by its good distribution of herbicide spray solution droplets which reflected in improving weed control by 21.6 and 6.6% and increasing maize grain yield per faddan by 3.5 and 7.87% in 2014 and 2015 seasons, respectively, than the case of flat fan nozzle. Using Maister power at reduced rate of 400 cc/faddan was equal with 500cc/faddan without any significant difference in their control of annual weeds or maize productivity in case of the dominance of Xanthium strumarium L., Euphorbia geniculata L., Corchorus olitorius L. and Portulaca oleracea L. as annual broad-leaved weeds. Echinochola colonum L.and Brachiaria reptans as annual grassy weed species. The correlation between weeds and maize yield (ardab/faddan) as well as its components was negative. Thus, the final conclusion indicated that the best alternative for weed control in maize by spraying Maister power herbicide at rate of 400 cc/faddan with 150 L/faddan spray volume. Using TK1 nozzle can improve the efficacy of herbicide application to reduce its rate as compared with recommended rate of this herbicide and, cost and decreasing environmental pollution.