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Spatial distribution and molecular characterization of persistently aphid-transmitted viruses causing yellowing and stunting in faba bean and chickpea crops in Tunisia
Author(s): Mghandef, Samia; Kumari, Safaa; Moukahel, Abdulrahman; Hamdi, Imen; Varsani, Arvind; Najar, Asma (Mediterranean Phytopathological Union, 2026-05-14)
Date: 2026-05-14
Type: Journal Article
Status: Open access
Field surveys were conducted in the northeastern and northwestern regions of Tunisia between 2013/2014 and 2018/2019 growing seasons to identify viruses that infect faba bean and chickpea crops. Field observations showed that 18.8% of the faba bean and 21.0% of the chickpea fields surveyed had virus-like symptoms. These rates exceeded 20% during the growing seasons from 2013/2014 to 2018/2019, and were most common in the 2014/2015 growing season (28.6% of surveyed faba bean fields and 37.5% of chickpea fields showed virus-like symptoms in more than 20%). Totals of 1,538 faba bean and 1,511 chickpea plant samples showing yellowing and stunting symptoms were collected from 144 faba bean and 124 chickpea fields, . All collected samples were tested by tissue blot immunoassay (TBIA) using six monoclonal antibodies. These results showed that chickpea chlorotic stunt virus (CpCSV; Polerovirus CPCSV) was the most prevalent in faba bean and chickpea, with incidences of 20.2% and 37.6%, respectively, followed by beet western yellows virus (BWYV; Polerovirus BWYV) (13.5 and 9.7%), bean leafroll virus (BLRV; Luteovirus phaseoli) (3.7 and 3.3%), and faba bean necrotic yellows virus (FBNYV; Nanovirus necroflaviviciae) detected only in faba bean (6.6% of faba bean samples tested). In addition, TBIA results indicated that single virus infections were more prevalent than mixed infections in both crops. Mixed infections were predominantly co-infections involving viruses in Polerovirus (Solemoviridae), particularly CpCSV and BWYV (93% in faba bean and 69% in chickpea). Twenty-six samples that reacted positively with different monoclonal antibodies were assessed with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using generic and specific primers followed by sequencing of the partial coat protein (CP) gene. The sequence analyses confirmed presence of CpCSV, BWYV, BLRV, brassica yellows virus (BrYV; Polerovirus TUYV), and turnip yellows virus (TuYV; Polerovirus TUYV). Comparative sequence analyses of the Tunisian isolates indicated that 13 CpCSV sequences had nucleotide sequence similarities of 95 to 99% with the reference isolate (EU541266) belonging to serotype I, and six BLRV isolates had similarities of 96 to 99% with BLRV reference isolate (PP333098). One sample (TuCp265-19) had a mixed infection with CpCSV and BLRV. Six isolates initially detected using BWYV-specific primers were sequenced and analyzed. BLASTn results showed that only three isolates were closely related (98 to 100%) to BWYV (OM419176), while the remaining four isolates were identified as Polerovirus TUYV and showed greatest similarity to BrYV (LC428361) and TuYV (OP699039), indicating co-occurrence of two distinct Polerovirus species within the analyzed samples. There is no information on the genetic variability of legume viruses in Tunisia, so this study shows that these viruses should be considered when developing disease management strategies to improve faba bean and chickpea production in Tunisia.
Morocco’s wheat seed system and its impact on the realization of genetic progress
Author(s): Jlibene, Mohammed; Henkrar, Fatima; Sabik, Mohammed; Diria, Ghizlan; Tadesse, Wuletaw (Springer (part of Springer Nature))
Date: 2026-06-03
Type: Journal Article
Status: Timeless limited access
Bread wheat underpins Morocco’s food security, supplying more than half of national caloric and protein intake. However, domestic production covers only about 60% of the demand, increasing vulnerability to climate shocks and global market volatility. With limited potential to expand cultivated area, national food security increasingly depends on how effectively breeding-derived genetic gains translate into farm-level performance. While breeding programmes achieve yield gains of about 59 kg ha⁻1 yr⁻1, only roughly 31% is realised in farmers’ fields, indicating major inefficiencies along the seed pathway. This limited realization is associated with a low varietal turnover rate (≈0.045 yr⁻1), a modest seed replacement rate (≈35%), and a prolonged adoption lag of 10–12 years. This review applies a systems-diagnostic framework to examine the structure, performance and constraints of Morocco’s wheat seed system, drawing on peer-reviewed literature, institutional analyses and policy documents. The assessment evaluates governance, regulatory processes, early-generation and certified-seed supply, and adoption dynamics, using varietal turnover rate, seed replacement rate and genetic-gain realisation to characterise system efficiency. The review finds that despite strong varietal integrity and quality control, the overall performance of Morocco’s wheat seed system is limited by centralised governance, protracted registration and licensing procedures, insufficient private-sector engagement and weak coordination between breeding, certification and extension. These constraints slow varietal renewal, restrict seed availability and diminish the expression of genetic progress. Strengthening Morocco’s food security will require modernising varietal registration, expanding seed-production capacity, realigning subsidy incentives and fostering public–private collaboration. Building on insights from Hall’s studies of seed-system innovation in Morocco, lasting improvement will depend on strengthening the institutional linkages, learning mechanisms and collaborative capacities that enable breeders, regulators, seed producers, and farmers to innovate together.
Soil quality assessment for sustainable cultivation of Opuntia ficus-indica in Kutch (India): identifying key edaphic factors
Author(s): Louhaichi, Mounir; Naorem, Anandkumar; Hassan, Sawsan (ISHS Acta Horticulturae)
Date: 2026-04-10
Type: Conference Paper
Status: Open access
Soil quality plays a fundamental role in determining crop productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where soil fertility constraints and salinity pose significant challenges. Opuntia ficus-indica (cactus pear) is a drought-resilient crop with considerable potential for sustainable agriculture, yet limited research has focused on the specific soil properties influencing its growth and biomass production. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between soil quality parameters and Opuntia ficus-indica growth performance in Bhuj, Kutch, an arid region with alkaline and nutrient-limited soils. Soil and plant samples were collected from eight farms, ensuring uniform sowing conditions. Five composite soil samples (0-30 cm depth) and five plant samples were collected per farm, and nine soil parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and soil texture) were analyzed using standard laboratory methods. Plant growth metrics, including cladode number, cladode weight, and cladode length, were recorded. The results revealed that calcium (r=0.901, p<0.001), nitrogen (r=0.844, p<0.001), and potassium (r=0.918, p<0.001) were the most critical soil properties positively influencing plant growth, while high soil pH (r=-0.829, p<0.001) and electrical conductivity (r=-0.802, p<0.001) negatively impacted plant performance. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified soil fertility (Ca, N, K) and salinity (EC) as the most influential factors, explaining 79.3% of the total variance. Regression analysis further confirmed that soil fertility parameters significantly contributed to biomass accumulation (R2=0.78, p<0.001).
Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica): the 5F crop for food, feed, fuel, fashion, and fertilizer enhancing sustainability in arid regions
Author(s): Hassan, Sawsan; Louhaichi, Mounir (ISHS Acta Horticulturae)
Date: 2026-04-10
Type: Conference Paper
Status: Open access
The cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) has gained increasing attention for its remarkable versatility as a “5F crop”, providing food, feed, fuel, fashion (bio-leather), and fertilizer. Adapted to arid and semi-arid regions, cactus pear is highly resilient to harsh environmental conditions, making it a promising candidate for sustainable agriculture. Despite its multifaceted potential, comprehensive assessments of its applications across these five domains and broader implications for food security and resource efficiency remain limited. This review systematically explores the role of OFI as a 5F crop and its impact on sustainable development in arid regions. Literature searches were conducted using multiple databases, search engines, and specialist websites to gather data on OFI across different sectors – agriculture, energy, textiles, and environmental sustainability. Articles were screened for relevance using predefined criteria, and bias was minimized through critical appraisal of the evidence. Data were extracted on various outcomes such as nutritional value, biomass yield, biofuel potential, textile applications, and soil enhancement properties. Comparative analyses were performed to evaluate the crop’s effectiveness in each of the five domains. Over 15,000 studies were identified, with 210 selected based on relevance and critical appraisal. Among the findings, cactus pear was shown to significantly contribute to food security through its high nutrient content, while its use as livestock feed reduced grazing pressure on natural rangelands, especially in arid regions. The biomass generated from cladodes was highlighted as a renewable energy source for biofuel production. In the fashion industry, cactus-derived fibers offered a sustainable alternative to synthetic materials. Furthermore, the resulting digestate from biofuel production serves as a biofertilizer, enhancing soil properties and crop productivity. Our review provides a comprehensive analysis of cactus pear’s multi-dimensional benefits, emphasizing its potential to enhance food and feed security, renewable energy, sustainable fashion, and soil health.
Determinants of adoption and impacts of spineless cactus for animal feed: a Tunisian case
Author(s): Yigezu, Yigezu; Hassan, Sawsan; Louhaichi, Mounir; Hamdeni, Imtinene (ISHS Acta Horticulturae)
Date: 2026-04-10
Type: Conference Paper
Status: Open access
With the advent and fast pace of climate change, finding suitable crop types and varieties that equip farming communities to better adapt and build their resilience deserves high attention. Cactus pear is one such crop, which not only can thrive under harsh conditions of moisture and heat stresses, but also provides various ecosystem services including food, feed, soil conservation, and habitat for wildlife. The spineless type eliminates one of the major challenges of cactus production – its spines on both the cladodes, which are used for food and feed, and on its fruits. Using data from 256 Tunisian farmers, this study attempted to identify the factors that influence farmers’ adoption of spineless cactus (SPLC) and the economic impacts on those who adopt. Results of a double hurdle model showed that farmers cultivating cactus for dual-purposes (for fruits and fodder) and at a high density have higher propensity to adopt SPLC while older cactus plantations are associated with cultivation of the spiny type. Once farmers decide to adopt SPLC, our results show that those with larger farm size tend to adopt it on a larger area while those who use higher fertilizer rates and can allocate more labor per hectare tend to devote smaller area for SPLC. Results of the treatment effects model show that the adoption of SPLC only for animal feed does not have a significant effect on the amount of forage that can be harvested and the associated profit. The only two variables that affect harvested quantity of forage and profit are fertilizer input and labor rates. One implication of our results is that enhanced adoption of the spineless cactus can be achieved by promoting it as a dual-purpose crop and targeting primarily those who already cultivate it as such, and more so on relatively larger areas.