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Recent Submissions
Abstracts book of 14th Arab Congress of Plant Protection, Algiers, Algeria, 3-7 November 2025
Author(s): Kumari, Safaa; Makkouk, Khaled; Boureghda, Houda; Biche, Mohammed; Moukahel, Abdulrahman; Nader, Asaad; Khenfous-Djebari, Bahria; Morsli, Samira (Arab Society of Plant Protection (ASPP), 2025-11-25)
Date: 2025-11-25
Type: Conference Proceedings
Status: Open access
This resource comprises the official abstract book of the 14th Arab Congress of Plant Protection, published as a special issue of the Arab Journal of Plant Protection. It brings together peer-reviewed scientific abstracts presented by researchers from the Arab region and beyond, addressing a wide range of plant protection disciplines, including fungal, bacterial, viral, and nematode diseases; insect pests and beneficial organisms; weeds; pesticides; host–pathogen interactions; integrated pest management; phytosanitary measures; climate change impacts; and food safety. The collection reflects current research trends, applied methodologies, and regional priorities aimed at strengthening plant health systems, enhancing sustainable agricultural production, and supporting food security under diverse agro-ecological conditions. The abstract book is published in both Arabic and English versions.
Building climate resilience in the MENA region: a feminist political ecology of agroecology and neglected and underutilized crop species
Author(s): Amoak, Daniel; Najjar, Dina; Nyantakyi-Frimpong, Hanson; El Amil, Rola; Maalouf, Fouad; Abderrazek, Jilal (Springer (part of Springer Nature) (Springer Open Choice Hybrid Journals))
Date: 2025-12-18
Type: Journal Article
Status: Open access
This study explores the factors associated with the cultivation of neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS) and agroecology adoption (crop rotation with legumes) amid the climate crisis in rural Lebanon and Morocco. A mixed-methods approach (interviews and questionnaire survey) was used. Five key informant interviews as well as a survey of 923 farmers: 465 in Lebanon (242 men and 223 women) and 458 in Morocco (238 men and 220 women) were conducted. This paper addresses two key questions: (1) what are the predictors of agroecology and NUS cultivation, and (2) what are the primary gendered NUS varietal preferences of farmers and why? Using insights from feminist political ecology, and applying logistic regression analysis, key predictors of adoption include gender, with Moroccan women more likely to adopt agroecology, and age, as older farmers in Morocco are less likely to engage. In Lebanon, marital status influences adoption, with divorced or widowed farmers more engaged in NUS cultivation. Education and wealth also play significant roles, with higher levels of both positively associated with agroecology and NUS adoption. Amid the climate crisis, men and women farmers both indicated that traits like drought resistance and suitability for low rainfall conditions are key drivers for NUS and agroecology adoption. Some key reasons for NUS varietal preferences included, market demands, the need to reduce burden on women, taste and cooking qualities, and to adjust to the climate. Farmers, especially women, also indicated importance of flour blending in their uptake of barley cultivation. These findings highlight the complex motivations behind NUS varietal selection, and the importance of context-specific strategies to support sustainable agriculture in the MENA region.
Weed Management Reduces Wild Bee Diversity in Cherry Orchards of the Moroccan Middle Atlas
Author(s): Bencharki, Youssef; Michez, Denis; Ghisbain, Guillaume; Baum, Michael; Lhomme, Patrick (MDPI)
Date: 2025-11-07
Type: Journal Article
Status: Open access
Pollinators are essential for the productivity of many fruit crops, yet their diversity and abundance can be strongly influenced by local management practices. This study investigates the impact of weed management on the abundance and diversity of wild bee communities in Moroccan cherry orchards (Ain Leuh, Middle Atlas). Using a sampling strategy combining pan traps in the orchard and netting on the cherry flowers and the weeds during the cherry bloom season, we found that weeded orchards had significantly higher bee abundance (i.e., number of specimens), while unweeded orchards supported greater species richness (i.e., number of species). Vegetation structure significantly influences bee activity and the performance of sampling techniques. Yellow pan traps contributed to collecting more individuals in weeded orchards, likely due to enhanced visual contrast in the absence of floral cues. Across all sites, the most observed flower visitors included species from the genera Andrena and Lasioglossum, known as important cherry pollinators. These findings highlight the ecological value of maintaining wildflower resources through reduced weed management intensity and suggest that enhancing floral complexity in orchards can support more diverse and abundant pollinator communities, with potential benefits for crop pollination services.
On the origin of the late‑flowering ppd‑H1 allele in barley
Author(s): Sharma, Rajiv; Shaaf, Salar; Neumann, Kerstin; Civan, Peter; Guo, Yu; Mascher, Martin; David, Michal; Al-Yassin, Adnan; Özkan, Hakan; K. Blake, Tom; Hübner, Sariel; Álvarez, Nora P. Castañeda; Grando, Stefania; Ceccarelli, Salvatore; Baum, Michael; Graner, Andreas; Coupland, George; Pillen, Klaus; Weiss, Ehud; Mackay, Ian; Powell, Wayne; Kilian, Benjamin (Springer (part of Springer Nature))
Date: 2025-09-10
Type: Journal Article
Status: Open access
To breed for climate resilient crops, an understanding of the genetic and environmental factors influencing adaptation is critical. Barley provides a model species to study adaptation to climate change. Here we present a detailed analysis of genetic variation at a major photoperiod response locus and relate this to the domestication history and dispersal of barley. The PPD-H1 locus (a PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR 7) promotes flowering under long-day conditions, and a natural mutation at this locus resulted in a recessive, late-flowering ppd-H1 allele. This mutation proved beneficial in high-latitude environments such as Northern Europe, where it allows extended vegetative growth during long spring days. We infer the origin of the mutated late-flowering ppd-H1 allele by re-sequencing a large geo-referenced collection of 942 Hordeum spontaneum, 5 Hordeum agriocrithon and 1110 domesticated (Hordeum vulgare) barleys. We demonstrate that the late-flowering phenotype originated from Desert-type wild barley in the Southern Levant and present evidence suggesting a post-domestication origin of the mutated ppd-H1 allele.
Youth in relation to agroecology: practices, promises, and perceptions in five countries
Author(s): Rietveld, Anne; Djurfeldt, Nadia; Shijagurumayum, Meghajit; Gupta, Shweta; Tristán, Maria Claudia; Chimonyo, Vimbayi Grace Petrova; Ryan, Nehring; Murugani, Vongai Gillian; Idoudi, Zied; Singh, Sonali (Taylor & Francis (Routledge))
Date: 2025-10-24
Type: Journal Article
Status: Open access
In the context of rising youth populations in many low- and middle-income countries, coupled with high youth unemployment and aging farmer populations, this paper asks in what ways agroecology, as a sustainable alternative to the conventional agricultural practices and paradigm, attracts youth to farming and rural-based livelihoods. We draw on empirical data from semi-structured interviews and photovoice conducted with young women and men in five countries: Kenya, India, Peru, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe. In our discussion, we highlight which dimensions and aspects of agroecology resonate with youth and why.