“ Current Status of Wheat Science in Lebanon”

“Current Status of Wheat Science in Lebanon” Samih El-Hajj and Lamis Chalak Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lebanese University Beirut, Lebanon

Lebanon - Overview • Surface Area, 10 452 km2 • Population, 4 097 000 M. • Total cultivated area is 277 000 ha (30%) • Main crops are: • Fruit trees and Olives (50% of cultivated area) • Cereals (24% of cultivated area) • Tubers and Vegetables (15% of cultivated area) • Despite its small size, Lebanon enjoys a very rich biodiversity due to its largely mountainous landscape and extreme variability in climatic conditions.

Status of Agriculture Cereals occupy an estimated area of 40 000 ha.

Historical Background • Wheat growing dates back to Phoenician civilization in the 3rd millennium B.C. • The Bekaa plain was known as the seed store of the Roman Empire. • As a result of natural and primitive methods of human selection, several local varieties were developed.

…Historical Background • Only local varieties of bread and durum wheat were cultivated producing modest yields. • In 1947, two improved varieties were introduced (Florence aurore and Senator cappelli). • Bread and durum wheat production increased rapidly with the introduction of the Mexican high yielding varieties such as “Mexipak” and “Jori”.

Wheat data • National need: 500 000 tons year-1 • Cultivated area : 25 000 ha • Production: ~ 50 000 tons year-1 • Seed production by one governmental institute (LARI) provides 500-1000 tons year-1 • Imported, seeds reach 3500 tons year-1 Varieties increased by LARI are Lahn 2, Masarra, Tal Amara 1 (drought tolerant) Tannour, Tal Amara 2.

Genetic resources in Lebanon • Despite its small size, Lebanon enjoys a very rich biodiversity due to its largely mountainous landscape and extreme variability in climatic conditions. • Lebanon still harbors a great diversity of wheat, barley and vetches including landraces and wild relatives.

Wild relatives of Wheat • As other countries of the fertile crescent Lebanon is considered as the center of origin of wheat. • Many wild wheat species are still found in western Bekaa: T. boeoticum, T. urartu, T. dicoccoides, T. thaoudar. • More than 20 species of Aegilops including A. speltoides and A. squarrosa are still found in Mount Lebanon. • Updating Surveys and Actions for Conservation are urgently required to avoid genetic erosion.

Wheat Accessions in European Genebanks

Improved varieties versus landraces of durum wheat Regression of genotypes over locations

…Improved varieties versus landraces of durum wheat

Breeding activities • Evaluation and characterization of Lebanese wheat accessions, through collaborative projects between ICARDA, LARI and academic institutions. • ICARDA, CIMMYT and ACSAD are the main providers of germplasms for LARI. • LARI is the only public institution authorized to release and adopt new varieties. Since 1975, twenty varieties of wheat have been developed and released.

Breeding activities • Marker Assisted Selection program The EU funded project “Improvement of water use efficiency in durum wheat” applied the Marker Assisted Selection. However, the work was carried out by ICARDA because of the absence of the facilities and know how in Lebanese institutions.

Breeding activities • Currently, crosses are made among the improved and existing varieties and between these varieties and few local landraces. • Around 1000 segregating populations provided by ICARDA and ACSAD (F3 and F4) were evaluated and screened for resistance to biotic and abiotic factors.

On-going breeding activities Program INT/5/150 Involvment in the program aiming to respond to the transboundary threat of Ug99

On-going breeding activitiesPerformance of CIMMYT lines • One hundred bread wheat lines chosen to fit semi-arid conditions were compared with ‘Tannour’ as a check, and 50 durum wheat lines with the variety “Lahn” as a check. • Entries 342, 327, 317, 308, 339, 307, 328, 330, 321, 334, 335, 340 and 305 expressed the highest grain yield, but without a significant difference with “Tannour”. • Durum wheat lines 702, 740 and 736 ranked first in grain yield with no significant compared with the check “Lahn”.

On-going breeding activities…Performance of CIMMYT lines • Among the bread wheat accessions the entries 305 and 388 showed high susceptibility to yellow rust. • 22 accessions of the durum wheat lines showed tolerance to yellow rust. They are the following: 704, 760, 706, 771, 708, 756, 711, 753, 714, 797, 717, 782, 722, 772, 724, 765, 726, 755, 727, 766, 735 and 796

On-going breeding activitiesMutation breeding program Under the umbrella of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a regional project is being conducted. The aim is to increase the cereals productivity with the help of mutations. Till now, the obtained M3 generations are being screened for drought tolerance.

Wheat major pestsInsect pests Sunni bug “Eurygaster integriceps“

Wheat major pestsInsect pests The russian aphid “Diuraphis noxia” The saw fly “Cephus pygmaeus”

Wheat major pestsDiseases Rusts Smuts

Wheat major pests…Diseases Helminthosporium sp. Fusarium sp.

Wheat major pests…Diseases No infection by Ergot “Claviceps purpurea” was registered in Lebanon

Wheat major pests Nematodes Anguina tritici and Aphelenchoides spp. Anguina tritici is a quarantine object

Constraints • Multiple constraints are still facing the development of a successful plant breeding program in Lebanon, the most important of which are the lack of skills and the weak knowledge in biotechnology and molecular techniques.

Towards a National Strategy Development: of drought and heat tolerant varieties, of varieties with shorter growing period, of varieties resistant to rusts, with a focus on Ug99.

…Towards a National Strategy • Raising awareness for on-farm conservation of PGR.

Thank you

“ Current Status of Wheat Science in Lebanon”