الفهرس 
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Abstract
This study was conducted during the two consecutive seasons of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 at the experimental farm of El-Baramoon, Horticultural Research Station, El- Dakahlyia Governorate, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Egypt to evaluate the effect of application of the chemical fertilizer (NPK), organic fertilizer (farmyard manure, FYM), biofertilizer (active dry yeast and effective micro-organisms, EM) and their interaction applications on the vegetative growth, herb yield per feddan, the essential oil productivity and its components as well as the chemical composition of the two studied plants, namely: Majorana hortensis L.( marjoram) and Mentha piperita L. (peppermint).
The marjoram plants were harvested three times per season i.e. on June 15 th, August 15th and October 15th , while the peppermint plants were harvested twice i.e. on June 15th and on September 7th in the two growing seasons. A randomized complete block design with three replicates was applied. Each replicate included thirteen fertilization treatments; the chemical fertilizer NPK (the control) was a mixture of ammonium sulphate (20.5%N), calcium super phosphate (15.5%P2O5) and potassium sulphate (48%K2O) at the rate of 400, 300 and 150 kg/fed., respectively for peppermint plants. While marjoram plants received the same fertilizer at the rate of 487.8, 200 and 100 kg/fed., respectively as a recommended dose of the Ministry of Agriculture. FYM used as a mixture of chicken and cattle manure at 1:1 ratio and was applied at the rates of 12, 18 and 24 m3/ fed. It was applied in two doses. The first dose was added during the soil preparation corresponding to the experimental design, and the second one was applied as a basal dressing after the first cut for the two seasons. Biofertilizers were applied as a soil drench in three equal doses every season at the same date of NPK fertilizer application. Yeast was added at the rate of 3, 6 and 8kg per fed., while EM at 1L, 2L and 3L per fed.
The obtained data were subjected to the statistical analysis using the least significant difference (L.S.D) at 5% probability level. The obtained results can be summarized as follows:
For marjoram plants the superior estimations for all parameters as plant height, number of branches, fresh and dry weight of herb per plant and per fed. and yearly, essential oil percentage, oil yield per plant and per fed. per season as well as photosynthetic pigments in addition the total carbohydrates, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents were resulted from the plants treated with the combination treatment of 18m3/ fed. FYM+ 6 kg/fed. yeast+ 2L/fed. EM. Twelve components of marjoram oil were detected and the treatment of 8 kg/fed. yeast gave the highest values of the main component as terpinene -4-ol. For peppermint plants the significantly highest increases in plant height, number of branches, fresh and dry weight of herb per plant and per fed. and yearly, photosynthetic pigments in addition the total carbohydrates contents were resulted from the plants treated with the combination treatment of 18m3/ fed. FYM+ 6 kg/fed. yeast+ 2L/fed. EM, the best results for essential oil percentage, oil yield per plant and per fed. per season as well as N,P and K contents were elicited in the plants fertilized with the combination treatment of 18m3/ fed. FYM+ 2L/fed. EM. The highest values of the main component of peppermint oil as menthol were obtained from the plants treated with 3L/fed. EM. The least values were obtained from 12m3/ fed. FYM. Thus the present work recommended to fertilize either peppermint or marjoram grown in a clay soil with a combination of 18m3 FYM / fed. with 6 kg yeast/fed. and 2L EM/fed. to obtain the best growth with good essential oil quality. Also, using of bio-fertilizers may be considered as positive alternative to the chemical fertilizer and consequently reduce the environmental pollution.