Experiment was conducted at Sakha Horticulture Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, during the two successive seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 to study the effect of foliar spray with kinetin and zinc on Clivia miniata, L. plant for improving growth performance and raising new formed rhizomes. Kinetin and zinc were sprayed after three weeks of planting, three times, with three weeks' interval at the rates of 0, 30,60 and 90 mg/L for kinetin and 0,100 and 150 ppm for zinc sulphate. Results indicated that application of kinetin at the rate of 90 ppm coupled with zinc at the rate of 150 ppm significantly increased leaf length by 45.65%, number of leaves by 49.40%, fresh weight of leaves/plant by 57.85 %, dry weight of leaves/plant by 56.90%, precocity in flowering by 35.17% , flowering stalk length by 34.47%, flowering stalk diameter by 41.89%, flowering stalk fresh weight by 66.11%, flowering stalk dry weight by 64.84%, , number of florets/flower by 57.79%, number of flower/clump by 60.77% and flowering duration by 47.89% and number of rhizomes/clump by 66.6 as well as fresh and dry weights of rhizomes/ clump by 34.38 and 56.79% respectively. In addition, root length was increased by 55.27%, number of roots by 48.72% as well as fresh and dry roots by 60.07 and 38.59% respectively. Besides, it increased chemical constituents i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, chlorophyll (a), chlorophyll (b), carbohydrates content in leaves by 51.73, 51.62, 38.99, 58.36, 41.55 and 30.45%, respectively, compared to untreated plants. Therefore, application of kinetin at the rate of 90 ppm coupled with zinc at the rate of 150 ppm after three weeks of planting Clivia miniata. L. three times with three weeks' interval improved growth performance and raised new formed rhizomes/ clump under local conditions. keywords: Kinetin, Zinc and Clivia miniata L.

The effects of cyanobacterial extract and tea of the composted rice straw on some growth, flowering parameters and biochemical properties of Pelargonium zonale plants were investigated. As soil drench and foliar spraying, treatments were applied in pots trial during two successive seasons. Results indicated significant enhancements of the tested vegetative growth parameters i.e. plant height, number of branches, stem diameter, fresh and dry weights of the aerial parts due to all treatments, with relative superiority of the mix treatment as foliar spraying. Due to use the mix treatment, averages data of aerial parts dry matter during both seasons reached 19.64 % as foliar spraying and 19.42 % as soil drench compared with 10.30 % for control treatment. Similarly, root length, number of roots, fresh and dry weights of roots were also increased due to application of all treatments especially the mix treatment but as soil drench in both seasons compared with control plants. The use of the mix treatment, average data of root dry matter during the studied seasons reached 25.10 % as foliar spraying and 27.32 % as soil drench compared with 16.83 % for control treatment. So, vegetative growth parameters were increased by foliar spraying and root parameters were remarkably enhanced due to soil drench application. Moreover, all treatments tended to induce significantly increase in number of inflorescences/plant, number of florets/ inflorescence, inflorescence diameter, as well as inflorescence fresh weight, peduncle length and flowering duration. In addition, results indicated that, chlorophyll (a), chlorophyll (b) and total carbohydrates, percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the leaves were also significantly increased. So, application of combined treatment of cyanobacterial filtrate and compost tea, three weeks as drench soil and/or foliar spraying after transplanting of Pelargonium zonale plants, four times with two weeks' interval was recommended under similar experimental conditions of the presented study.

Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa, L.) has a good economic potential for cut flower trade and essential oil industry. A field experiment was conducted at Sakha Horticulture Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, during the two successive seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 to study the effect of some natural materials, i.e. humic acid, yeast and garlic extracts, using two application methods, i.e. soil drench and foliar spray, on some vegetative growth traits, flowering, bulbs and bulblets productivity. The investigation aimed to improve plant quality and raise new formed bulbs and bulblets under local conditions. Results indicated that humic acid treatment followed by yeast then garlic extract significantly increased all traits under study. Soil drench method was superior for vegetative growth, flowering traits, bulbs productivity and chemical constituents compared to the foliar spray one. Application of humic acid as soil drench increased leaf length, number of leaves. Furthermore, it induced precocity in flowering, increased spike and rachis length, number of florets per spike, fresh weight of florets, fresh and dry weights of spike. Also, it significantly increased number of bulblets, fresh weight of clump, fresh weight of new formed bulb and its diameter. Besides, it increased chlorophyll (a) and (b), carbohydrates content, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium percentage in the leaves compared to untreated plants in both seasons. Therefore, application of humic acid by soil drench method, at the rate of 9 ml/l after three weeks of planting tuberose bulbs, three times with three weeks' interval is important for improving plant quality and raising new formed bulbs and bulblets under local conditions.

There is an urgent need to overcome seed dormancy especially in some multibenefit tree like baobab, which can be successfully cultivated in Southern Egypt, in order to improve their regeneration. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of some pre-germination treatments i.e., soaking in tap water, boiling water or sulphuric acid at 98.5% for either 30 or 60 min, mechanical scarification with sandpaper alone or combined with soaking in sulphuric acid 98.5% for either 30 or 60 min, on germination characters and seedling traits of Adansonia digitata L. Results revealed that all pre-germination treatments significantly increased all germination parameters, growth performance and some chemical traits compared to the untreated seeds, except for soaking seeds in tap water. The descending order of pre-sowing treatments was scratching baobab seeds then soaking in sulphuric acid 98.5% for 60 or 30 min ˃ soaking in sulphuric acid 98.5% for 60 or 30 min˃ mechanical scarification with sandpaper ˃ boiling water. In the same order was minimized number of days from sowing until the emergence of the plumule from 68 to 6 days and increasing germination (%) from 9 to 94% for untreated and soaking in tap water without significant differences in between and scratching seeds then soaking in sulphuric acid 98.5% for 60 min, respectively. There were increments in seedling height (from 4.27 to 57.58%) and in stem diameter (from 21.67 to 61.48%) for seeds soaked in tap water, and scratching seeds then soaking in sulphuric acid 98.5% for 60 min, respectively. Generally, all previous treatments except soaking in tap water led to breaking baobab seed dormancy. The best treatment was scratching seeds before soaking in sulphuric acid 98.5% for 30 mints.

Jacobinia carnea (Lindl.) Nicholson is a plant species belongs to ornamental flowering shrubs (Fam. Acanthaceae).The effect of different methods and rates of paclobutrazol application on Jacobinia carnea have not been previously studied under the Egyptian conditions. Therefore, this study was conducted at Sakha, Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, during two successive seasons of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 to study the effect of two methods of application of paclobutrazol (Bonzi) and rates on some vegetative and roots growth traits, flowering and some chemical composition of Jacobinia carnea plants, aiming to use it as a new flowering indoor pot plant. The first application method of paclobutrazol was foliar spray at the rates of 15, 20, and 25 ppm while the second application method was soil drench at the rates of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mg/pot. Twice foliar spray and soil drench of paclobutrazol at 2 weeks interval were applied to potted plants of Jacobinia cornea.Results indicated that plant height, fresh and dry weights of leaves, leaf area, fresh and dry weights of branches, root length as well as fresh and dry weights of roots were significantly decreased with raising paclobutrazol concentration in both methods of application in both seasons. However, number of branches exhibited a slight and insignificant increment between all treatments. Moreover, number of flower heads/plant was increased. Meanwhile, the application of all concentrations in both methods decreased the number of florets/flower heads and delayed flowering time as compared to the control especially with the high rates in the first and second seasons. The contents of chlorophyll (a), chlorophyll (b), and total chlorophyll, total carbohydrates and indoles in the leaves were linearly decreased with raising paclobutrazol concentration in both methods of application. However, phenols content in leaves was increased as affected by these treatments.A linear slope regression showed that application of paclobutrazol as soil drench on Jacobinia cornea plants was more efficient on reduction of most parameters under study compared with application of foliar spray.Therefore, it could be recommended to use paclobutrazol as a foliar spray at 20 ppm or as soil drench at 2.0 mg /pot, twice time at fortnight interval, according to user preference, and to obtain good potted flowering indoor plants of Jacobinia carnea plantlets should be treated 4-4.5 month old under similar conditions of this investigation.