*2.3. Effects of EOs on Tomato Growth Parameters*

Tomato seedlings, treated with the highest concentrations (1.0% and 1.25%) of *M. spicata* and *M. longifolia*, respectively showed in vitro complete and maximum reduction in mycelial growth in *F. oxysporum* colonies and disease incidence of Fusarium root rot compared with untreated control (Figure 4). The magnitude of root rot symptoms and disease severity (86.39 ± 0.025) was observed in *Fusarium* inoculated experiments, whereas a significant reduction in root rot disease severity by 5.6 ± 0.01% and 3.5 ±.02% was shown in treated plants with 1.25% *M. spicata* and 1.0% *M. longifolia* EOs treatments.

In addition, the application of 1.25% *M. spicata* and 1.0% *M. longifolia* EOs exhibited a significant increase in the following growth parameters: plant height, shoot and root fresh, and dry weights, compared with treated-infected, infected, and negative control EOs (Table 3). A remarkable maximum plant height (32.42 ± 0.02 cm) was observed in the case of 1.0% *M. longifolia*-treated plants followed by (28.9 ± 0.01 cm) with 1.25% *M. spicata* treatment compared with control (24.32 ± 0.02). In contrast, the lowest plant height (16.54 ± 0.02) was observed in the case of pathogen-inoculated plants. The treatment with 1.0% *M. spicata* and *M. longifolia* resulted in a significant increase in all other measured germination features such as radicle and root lengths, and fresh and dry weights of radicle and root compared with control (Figure 4), while germination features were greatly decreased due to fungal infestation, where a clear root rot severity was observed. The total chlorophyll content and electrical leakage results are shown in Figures 5 and 6 where the maximum chlorophyll content (74.16 ± 0.01 and 62.33 ± 0.02) were measured in 1.0% *M. longifolia* and 1.25% *M. spicata*, respectively, compared with *Fusarium* inoculated plants (42.06 ± 0.02). Whereas, the maximum electrical leakage (EL %) (127.18 ± 0.01) was recorded in pathogentreated plants with 1.25% *M. spicata* compared with (6.97 ± 0.01) in case of control.

**Figure 4.** Effects of highest concentrations of *M. spicata* and *M. longifolia* EOs formulations on *L. esculentum* seedling growth potential under Fusarium root rot disease infection. C = control, P = pathogen, T1 = 1.25% *M. spicata*, T2 = 1% *M. longifolia*, P + T1 = pathogen + 1.25% *M. spicata*, and P + T2 = pathogen + 1% *M. longifolia*.
