الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Two field experiments were carried out during two successive seasons of 2010 and 2011 at the Experimental Farm of El-Kassasin Horticultural Research Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt to study the effect of drip irrigation rates, biofertilizers rates and antioxidants on growth, flowering, and postharvest characters as well as some of chemical constituents of Echinacea purpurea, L. The present investigation included 48 treatments, which were the combinations between 3 drip irrigation levels (784, 1568 and 2352 m3 water/fed), 4 biofertilizers rates (zero, 500 gm/fed nitrobein + 500 gm/fed phospherein, 1000 gm/fed nitrobein + 1000 gm/fed phospherein and 1500 gm/fed nitrobein + 1500 gm/fed phospherein) and 4 antioxidants sources (control, 100 ppm citric acid, 100 ppm salicylic acid and 100 ppm glutathione). Irrigation Echinacea plants at rate of 2352 m3/fed gave the highest values of plant growth characters, fresh and dry weight, inflorescences characters (length, diameter and fresh weight), mineral contents and postharvest characters (longevity and volume of absorbed water). Inoculation plants with 1500 gm/fed nitrobein + 1500 gm/fed phospherein gave the highest values of plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, inflorescences characters, mineral contents and postharvest characters. Spray plants by glutathione gave the highest values of plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, inflorescences characters, mineral contents and postharvest characters. In general, irrigated plants at rate of 2352 m3 water/fed with inoculation by nitrobein and phosphorein at rates of 1500 gm/fed for every one with spraying plants with glutathione at rate of 100 ppm recorded the uppermost values of growth, flowering and chemical constituents as compared to other treatments.