Two flour types (unpolished flour and polished one) and flour textures (grits and fine) of five cereal grains made up of millet, rice, wheat, sorghum and maize were evaluated under laboratory conditions for their susceptibility and progeny development in Tribolium castaneum in hot dry and cool humid seasons. T. castaneum thrived better during the cool humid season than the hot dry season. Polished flour was less susceptible to infestation and supported lower population of the beetles than unpolished flour. Index of susceptibility was 19.65–20.76% in unpolished flour and 18.89–19.76% in polished flour. The number of progeny that developed were 102.6–135.1 and 98.2–121.4 in unpolished and polished flours, respectively. Similarly, grit flour was significantly less susceptible than fine flour in both seasons. Rice, wheat and sorghum flours were less susceptible and supported significantly lower populations of T. castaneum than millet and maize flours in both seasons. Polished wheat flour supported least progeny number than the flour types of the other cereal grains. Conversely, significantly higher number of progeny developed in polished flour of millet and maize and unpolished flour of wheat. Millet fine flour and maize fine or grit flours were significantly more susceptible to infestation than flours of the other cereal grains.

The antifungal effect of twenty powdered spice plants and their extracts at concentrations of 2, 4, 8 and 1, 3, 6%, respectively was evaluated in relation to the radial mycelial growth of various soilborne fungi causing damping-off disease. The spice powder or extract were added to the culture medium PDA to obtain the proposed concentrations. Concentration of 8% of powdered spices and 6% of their extracts were able to cause complete growth inhibition of major tested fungi. High significant inhibitory effect on radial fungal growth was observed for different concentrations of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus), cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannil), garlic (Allium sativum) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Meanwhile, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), marjoram (Origanum majorana) and chamomile (Matricaria hamomilla) showed a low inhibitory effect on tested fungi. Moderate inhibitory effect was observed with the other tested spices. In the greenhouse, efficacy of spice plants as powder or their extracts in addition to the fungicide Rizolex-T used as seed dressings against faba bean damping-off incidence was evaluated in pot experiment using soil artificially infested with the disease agents (Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia solani). Spice extracts showed superior reducing effect on damping-off disease incidence at pre-emergence growth stage to that of powder treatments and Rizolex-T as well, while an opposite effect was observed at post-emergence growth stage. Carnation and cinnamon spices showed the highest protecting effect against disease incidence when applied as powder or extracts. It is interesting to note that spice plants as powder or extracts gave a similar effect to the fungicide Rhizolex-T in reducing damping-off incidence either at pre- or post-emergence stages of faba bean growth. Promising applicable technique could be suggested in the light of the results obtained. The use of spice plants as powder or extract for seed dressing might be considered as safe, cheep and easily applied method for controlling soilborne plant pathogens considering the avoidance of environmental pollution and the side effect of pesticide application.