Soil solarization in combination with fungal antagonists and soil amendments has been sub-jected to evaluation as a potential disease man-agement strategy for the control of charcoal rot of sesame caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. Solarization alone or in combination with Trichoderma pseudokoningii and Emericella nidulans singly or in mixed inocula reduces dis-ease incidence from 30 % (control) to 80%, 91 %, 82 % and 85% respectively. It is noted that while pairing improved the biocontrols potentiality of E. nidulans by increasing the number of healthy plants in both unsolarized and solarized soils it leads to decrease in the biocontrol potentiality of T. pseudokoningii. On the other hand the combina-tion of solarization with soil amendment with Eu-calyptus powdered leaves showed a synergistic effect by increasing number of healthy plants from 65 % in amended unsolarized soil to 77 % in amended solarized soil.

From an eco–economic perspective, the efficient use of nitrogen is becoming incrementally worthwhile in crop management. Therefore, growth, yield and seed yield response index of three sesame varieties (Shandwel–1, Giza–32 and Sohag–1) as affected by four N rates (0, 72, 108 and 144 kg N ha−1) were investigated during two seasons of 2013 and 2014. The study illustrated that Sohag–1 was the superior variety for achieving SPAD value and seed yield ha−1. Sesame plants can be fertilized with N at a rate of 108 kg ha−1 being recorded higher seed yield ha−1. Integration between proper variety as a genetic factor with the appropriate N rate applied as an environmental one, i.e. Sohag–1 x 108 kg N ha−1 (or Sohag–1 x 144 kg N ha−1) considered a marked practice for gaining high sesame seed yield as an economic product. Being Sohag–1 exhibited less reduction in yield under low N rate and highly response with high N applied it belongs to ER group.

Two successive field experiments were carried out during two seasons (2006 and 2007) at three Agricultural Experimental stations of Desert Research Center (DRC) in three locations: El-Maghara, El-Wadi El-Gedeed and Maryout to evaluate variation, mean performance and stability parameters of four diverse sesame cultivars. Also, study the oil content, physical and chemical properties, fatty acids composition of oil and proteins patterns in seeds of the tested cultivars (Shandaweel 3, Toushki 1, Giza 32 and Taka 3). The results obtained could be summarized in the following categories:- Wide range of variability between locations and high genotypic differences were detected. The genotype x environment interaction was significant and a major portion of this was accounted by the deviation among source of variations. Hence, the genotypes tested had a wide diversity and ranked differently among locations and seasons. The average plant height, number of branches/plant, number of capsules/plant, 1000-seed weight, grain yield/plant, grain yield/feddan and oil yield/feddan were recorded under El-Wadi El-Gedeed, El-Maghara and Maryout locations. Toushki 1 recorded the highest values across different locations for Number of capsules/plant (46.21), number of seeds/plant (47.27), seed yield/plant (14.76 g.), seed yield/feddan (333.84 kg.) and oil yield/feddan (168.56 kg.). El-Wadi El-Gedeed location is considered the best location for most studied traits except for number of branches/ plant. On the other hand, Maryout location (calcareous 34% CaCo3) recorded the lowest values for all traits under study; such findings may be due to the differences between soil and irrigation water types. Stability parameters were fitting together in determining the stable genotypes Toushki1, Shandaweel 3, Giza32 and Taka3 overall tested environments. Genotypes varied in their calculated bi values as well as S2di . Toushki 1 is the most stable genotype across different environments and for all traits under study except for number of capsules/plant. However, genotypes produced higher yield such as Toushki 1 and Shandaweel 3 showed below average stability and were well adapted for El-Wadi El-Gedeed conditions.   Oil content was increased while protein content was decreased significantly in seeds of Shandaweel3 and Toushki1 under El-Wadi El-Gedeed location. However, acid value was decreased for all cultivars except Taka 3 under El-Wadi El-Gedeed location at zero and 6 months of storage. On the other hand, the oil of all sesame cultivars which grown under El-Wadi El-Gedeed location had a higher iodine value than oil of the same cultivars under El-Maghara location. In