Foliar application with some amino acids provides plant with readymade nutrition, thus it has positive effect on plants metabolism with a corresponding promotion in crop quantity and quality. Thus, two field experiments were conducted at Kaha Vegetable Research Farm, Qalubia governorate, Egypt during the two successive winter seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 in a clayey loamy soil under flood irrigation system. Garlic (Allium sativum L.) cv. Sids 40 was used to study the effect of foliar application with three concentrations of each, moringa leaves extract (5, 10 and 15 g/ L), glutamine (50, 100 and 200 ppm) or cysteine (50, 100 and 200 ppm) on growth, yield, quality and gloves oil content. Gloves were planting at mid of September in both seasons. A Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications was used. The obtained results revealed that foliar spray with moringa leaves extract 10 g/ L, glutamine 200 ppm or cysteine 100 ppm treatments gave the highest values of plant growth criteria i.e. plant length, number of leaves/ plant, leaves chlorophyll content and leaves area of garlic at both seasons as compared to the other treatments and control. Concerning yield and yield components, spraying with moringa leaves extract 10 g/ L, glutamine 200 ppm or cysteine 100 ppm increased curing yield (ton/ fed.

The current study was executed in a newly reclaimed sandy soil at Ali Moubark Farm, South Tahrir Research Station, Horticulture Research Institute, during the two successive growing seasons of 2018-2019, to rationalizing mineral potassium consumption using alternative natural sources like feldspar rock (soluble form) inoculation with potassium releasing bacteria and its impact on production, quality and storability of sweet potato cv. Abees. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Treatments (n=6) included four levels of potassium sulphate (KS) (48% K2O) at 25, 50 and 75% of recommended dose (RD) plus feldspar rock (FR) (10.6% K2O) with inoculation by potassium releasing bacteria (KRB), i.e. Bacillus circulans as well as RD of potassium fertilizer and feldspar rock (singly or combined with KRB).Results concluded that adding 50% from the RD of KS plus 50% FR with inoculation with KRB had significant effects on vegetative growth, (plant length per plant, number of branches per plant, leaf area and chlorophyll content) total yield, yield properties (tuber root diameter, tuber root weight, tuber root length and tuber root dry matter) and chemical constituents (leaves potassium %, tuber roots total carbohydrate % and tuber roots potassium %).Moreovere, the same treatment had significant negative effects on available soil potassium content, tuber roots weight loss percentage at 30, 60, 90 days after storage and tuber roots decay percentage after storage under ambient temperature. Using 100% FR had reduction effects on all studied criteria except available soil potassium content, tuber roots weight loss percentage at 30, 60, 90 days after storage and tuber roots decay percentage after storage.Conclusively, the combined application of KS (100 kg fed -1 ), FR (453 kg fed -1 ) and inoculation with KRB in sweet potato fields, can be recommended to improve the vegetative growth characters, yield, quality, chemical composition and storability of sweetpotato than the commercial potassium fertilizer (200 kg fed -1 ) as well as maximizing the utilization of the natural resources available in the Egyptian environment and minimizing the environmental impact of chemical fertilizers.

wo field experiments for taro vegetable crop were carried out in El-Kanater El-Khiria, Horticulture Research Station, Kalubia Governorate, Egypt, in a split plot design during the two successive 2015 and 2016 seasons. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two nitrogen fertilizer rates at 90 or 120 kg/ fed. in main plots and nine weed control treatments in sub plots i.e. Harness at one liter/ fed., Sencor at 300 g/ fed. and Stomp extra at 1.7 liter/ fed. each individual and/ or plus Roundup at one liter/ fed., Roundup individual, hand hoeing twice after 25 and 40 days from sowing and untreated check (control) on weeds growth and vegetative growth, yield, quality and economic feasibility of taro. The main findings of this research revealed that nitrogen fertilizer rate at 90 kg/ fed. gave the highest decrease in dry weight of weed categories i.e., broadleaf weeds, grassy weeds and total weeds in both seasons and increased diameter and weight of taro corm in the second season. Whereas, taro plant height, taro number of leaves/ plant and uptake of nitrogen by weeds were increased by application of nitrogen rate at 120 than 90 kg/ fed. during the two seasons without any significant differences in the yield of taro, its components, chlorophyll content and chemical analysis characterized. The use of Stomp extra at 1.7 liter/ fed. applied as post-sowing plus Roundup at one liter/ fed. after 25 days from sowing applied as taro pre-emergence above soil surface exhibited significantly decreased in dry weight of total weeds by 96.9 and 95.1 % in first and second seasons, respectively. Application of Seconr at 300g /fed. plus Roundup at rate of one liter/ fed. reduced the previous total weeds by 93.3 and 94.5% and increased taro yield (43.6 and 43.5%) in the first and second seasons, respectively. Thus, these herbicides can broaden weed control weed spectrum with long weed control season, which minimize taro yield by weed competition, consequently eliminated N uptake from soil and improved protein and starch accumulation in favor taro crop yield. Also, it can be advised as alternative hand hoeing to weed control in this crop with economic feasibility and delectable herbicides residues and under permissible levels which accompanied with high quality for taro growth characteristics i.e. plant height, number of leaves/ plant and chlorophyll reading in leaves, corm length, corm diameter, corm weight, corm fresh yield, dry matter % and chemical of taro corms (protein percentage, starch percentage and total nitrogen of corm yield).