A filed experiment was conducted at Ismailia Agric. Res. Station to evaluate the effect of the application of rice straw compost, bio- fertilizers (EM and N2 – fixers) and N – mineral fertilizers (ammonium sulphate or urea), which added alone or in combination to sandy soil - on some soil chemical properties, growth and yield of Zea maize cv. single cross 10 Hybrid. The obtained data revealed that application of compost plus effective microorganisms (EM) to sandy soil has a considerable effect on decreasing soil pH.
Data also explained that salinity expressed as EC dS/m and soluble ions increased due to N2 – fixers application. Organic matter percent, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations also increased after the use of compost combined with EM and/ or N2 -fixer addition. It is of worth to mention that application of compost alone or in combination with bio-fertilizers to sandy soil resulted in improving the native supplying power of the necessary nutrients in soil solution. We can also concluded that application of compost in combination with EM and recommended dose of ammonium sulphate was superior treatment in increasing grain and stover yields, plant height and weight of 100 - kernels, contents and uptake of nutrients of Zea maize cultivated in sandy soil.