Tuta absoluta is the major insect invading tomato crop under greenhouse and open field conditions in Lebanon. Farmers mainly depend on chemical control to reduce damage caused by the larva. The hazard use of chemical agents can lead to resistance accumulation. The objective of this study is to investigate alternative agents like biopesticides to control this pest. Two field trials were conducted at the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) for two years under greenhouse conditions. In 2014, the first trial was conducted in two greenhouses: 1-control greenhouse without insect proof net (CG); 2-double door Greenhouse with insect proof net (DDG). In 2015, the second trial was conducted only in control greenhouse.Four treatments and control (not treated plot) were adopted in both trials. The biopesticides used in this study were Neem azal and Bacillus thuringiensis. Results of the first trial showed that using insect proof net reduced the captured adults on the water trap as compared with control greenhouse and thus reducing the damaged caused by the larva of tomato leaf miner on leaves and fruits. The adopted treatments have shown significant differences in the number of mines/leaf, live larva/leaf and percent of damaged fruits in both trials compared to the control. Applying Bacillius thuringiensis and neem azal separately and mixing them together have shown a promising alternative method to chemical control.

Abstract-An increasing interest on supplemental irrigation is observed in modern olive

Due to its valuable properties, Saffron is considered one of the most expensive spices. Saffron was introduced to Lebanon in 2000 and promoted as alternative crop to Canabis Sativa. There has been little research for saffron on a variety of subjects, in particular on cultural practices. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of corm density on Saffron yield attributes. The study included three corm densities that were organized in randomized complete block design with three replicates; Low(LD)-25 corms m-2, 20 × 20 cm spacing; Moderate (MD)-44 corms m-2, 15 × 15 cm spacing; High (HD)-100 corms m-2, 10 × 10 cm spacing. The study was conducted at the Lebanese agricultural research institute (LARI) in Lebaa station for four consecutive years. Results showed a steadily significant high yield of flowers m-2 at high density compared to low density for four years .In contrast, the number of flowers (NF)/100 corm clusters (CC) was significantly increased at low density in last two years compared to high density. Treatments showed no significant effect of the main compounds of air-dried stigmas (Crocin, Picrocrocin and Safranal). Fresh (FWSS) and dry (DWSS) weight of single stigma was affected by year showing a significant change from year to year. These results revealed that success of long-term cultivation can be achieved by planting saffron corm at moderate and low densities.

Olive tree is considered one of the most important cultivated crops in Lebanon. The cultivated area is mainly concentrated in the north and south Lebanon. Among the obstacles affecting olive cultivation is the olive fruit fly infestation which negatively alters the quality of olive oil. Olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) is mainly controlled by chemical means. At the present time, no biological program against this pest is considered in Lebanon. The aim of this study is to investigate the status of olive fruit fly parasites in Lebanon. The study was conducted for one year in 28 orchards located in five regions of olive production. Fruit samples were collected weekly from June to October. A total of 23096 fruits was collected from all orchards. Eight parasites were detected. Eupelmus urozonous and Opius concolor were the most abundant parasites in most orchards, the others were restricted to specific locations. The only exception was observed at Abdeh site where most of the parasites were isolated. Parasitism rates ranged from 2.4 to 42.1 % and the average rate of all locations was 13.3%. The low parasitism rate recorded in this study is insufficient to control olive fruit fly. Introduction and rearing of natural enemies along with other management tactics may enhance the control of olive fruit fly infestation

Soil is the major factor determining saffron yield. Although saffron tolerates different soil types, some soils with specific characteristics perform better than others. This work was conducted to evaluate the performance of saffron crop on different soil types under homogeneous environmental conditions. Four soil types sampled from different regions were tested: Rendzic Leptosols, Anthropic Regosols, Hypercalcaric Fluvisol and Eutric Cambisols. Soil samples were put in large plastic pots (radius=0.27 m, height=0.44 m) and organized in complete block design with four replicates. Combined analysis for four years revealed significant differences between soil types regarding most yield parameters. Saffron corms performed better on calcareous clayey Rendzic Leptosols soil with respect to plant height(PL), flowers per plot, flowers per corm cluster, total stigmas fresh and dry weights, fresh and dry weight of single stigmas and total number of corms. Corms grown on Hypercalcaric Fluvisol soil produced the largest content of Crocin, Picrocrocin and Safranal. A regression analysis was used to evaluate the performance of soil types on the number of flowers per mother corm through four years of the study. In this regard, a positive significant higher slope was obtained for Rendzic Leptosols (y = 4.23x - 8514.3, R²= 0.69, p.0001). Quantitative yield attributes such number of flowers per corm cluster was significantly correlated with organic matter t (r = .60, p=.016) and calcium (r =.52,p.041) contents. Correlation analysis showed that the soil parameters most attributed to the saffron yield were organic matter, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. For soils with limiting factors (Eutric cambisols and anthropic regosols) further studies should focus on improving their performance under saffron crop.