It is well known that legume–cereal intercropping systems are more efficient in terms of resources use, in particular nitrogen (N) and water. However, the response of this cropping system to water and N co-limitation was poorly studied in most of the recent field researches. The present study aims to assess the relationship between N and water use efficiency (NUE and WUE) by chickpea–durum wheat intercropping under contrasted climate and N supply conditions. Field experiments were carried out during the 2021/2022 growing season, in three sites located at both sub-humid and semi-arid regions. WUE, NUE, aboveground biomass, grain yield and crop physiological parameters for either intercropped chickpea or durum wheat were assessed and compared to the respective measurements in monocultures among all N-fertilizer level × site treatments. The results showed that WUE relative to grain yield (WUE_GY) and biomass (WUE_YB) were significantly higher in sole cropped wheat under the conditions of the three studied sites, except for WUE_YB in S2, in which intercropping increased WUE_YB by +0.46 and +1.03 kg m⁻³, as compared respectively, to monoculture under low application of N fertilizer. As compared to chickpea monoculture, intercropping increased WUE_GY by more than 0.30 and 0.57 kg m⁻³ under semi-arid conditions (S1 and S3) over three N-application doses, and by more than 0.18 kg m⁻³ under sub-humid conditions (S2). Simultaneously, NUE was significantly increased by intercropping, where in the mixed crop the highest values were noted as compared to sole-cropped durum wheat and chickpea. However, reducing the N-application dose leads to a gradual increase in NUE by more than 4.44 kg kg⁻¹. As a consequence, intercropping enhanced protein accumulation in the grain yield of mixed crops by more than 30 kg ha⁻¹ as compared to sole-cropped durum wheat, in particular under moderate N-application and sub-humid climate. Indeed, average chlorophyll content was increased (7.8%) in intercropped durum wheat under all applied N-doses in sub-humid conditions. Rain-fed chickpea–wheat intercropping promotes an improvement in growth and yield quality thanks to simultaneous optimization of water and N use under low and moderate N-application in both semi-arid and sub-humid climates.

It is well known that balanced and optimal mineral fertilization (i.e., nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) can increase yield and improve wheat quality. However, there is little scientific knowledge on the specific effect of potassium (K) fertilization on the morphological and qualitative characteristics of rainfed durum wheat under Mediterranean conditions, especially in the context of Algerian agriculture. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to provide crucial information on this important type of durum wheat mineral nutrition for farmers and researchers working in similar areas. The field study was conducted in the Northern Algerian region of Mitidja during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 growing seasons. The effect of K fertilization was evaluated within five contrasted rates of K: 0 kg k₂O ha⁻¹, 100 kg k₂O ha⁻¹, 200 kg k₂O ha⁻¹, 300 kg k₂O ha⁻¹, and 400 kg k₂O ha⁻¹, which were applied on one of the most commonly cultivated cultivars of durum wheat (Simeto). Results showed that increasing potassium levels had a positive and significant impact only on grain yield, spike length, spike neck, and dry matter. Hence, the highest grain yield of durum wheat (2.58 t ha⁻¹) was demonstrated under low K application (100 kg k₂O ha⁻¹). This rate leads to an increase in grain yield by more than 0.6 t ha⁻¹, as compared to the unfertilized control. Moreover, the thousand-grain weight of durum wheat was significantly increased by 4.11 g and 1.96 g, respectively, under low and moderate (200 kg k₂O ha⁻¹) K-fertilization, as compared to the control. In terms of grain yield quality, low K application provides an increase of 1.21% in protein content as compared to that measured under the control treatment. The major finding confirmed that both growth and yield indicators of durum wheat were globally optimized under low K application. Based on grain yield and evaluated agronomic traits, this research revealed that an applied K rate of 100 kg k₂O ha⁻¹ is recommended as the most effective dose to maximize durum wheat yield and quality under Algerian sub-humid conditions.

The present study reports the species identification of Fusarium isolates infecting Durum wheat cultivated in Algeria. Characterization of isolates was initially carried out based on morphological criteria and further confirmed by molecular studies. Molecular identification was performed by PCR assays using species-specific primers. The results showed that more than 40% (3/7) of the isolates belong to the F. culmorum species. This research also revealed, for the first time, the presence of F. cerealis (F. crookwellense) in Algeria. Finally, the use of primer assemblies allowed to highlight that the majority of isolates were of the DON chemotype; only two isolates were found to be NIV chemotype.

Albardine ( Lygeum spartum L.) is one of the major native grass species of the semi-arid and arid regions of the Mediterranean basin. In Algeria, it is much more widespread on the high plateaus of southern Oranais. This species occupies an important place in the steppe region because it has many ecological, economic, and fodder interests. The present work aims to study the tolerance of L. spartum seeds to water and salt stress, two abiotic factors that affect the physiology of the plant during the germinal stage. The methodology adopted consists of using increasing concentrations under a controlled temperature (15°C) for 21 days of germination. The germination responses of the seeds to different degrees of salt stress induced by NaCl (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 g/l) and water stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG;−2, -4, -6, -8, −10 bar), showed that the salt and water stresses retarded the germination rate of L. spartum L. seeds and also decreased their percentage during the time of the experiment. However, seeds soaked in distilled water (control) recorded a maximum germination rate of 80%. The results of this study show that L. spartum seeds are moderately salt and drought tolerant with a depressive effect on germination rate at a salt concentration of 10g/l and an osmotic pressure of −10 bar.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a disease caused by several Fusarium species, notably, F. culmorum and F. graminearum. These pathogens adversely affect the technological and sanitary qualities of cereal grains, particularly durum wheat. Under favorable environmental conditions and in susceptible varieties, these Fusarium species can significantly reduce both the quantity and quality of crops. This study evaluated the pathogenicity of the two Fusarium species (FC2006 and FG2008) in the growth of durum wheat coleoptiles. The plant material included four commercially grown parental varieties (G9, G10, G11, G12) and eight breeding lines (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, G8). In vitro tests revealed that both Fusarium species significantly reduced the coleoptile growth across the studied varieties and lines (p ≤ 0.001). The control test had an average coleoptile length of 37.87 mm. In contrast, seeds inoculated with FC2006 had an average length of 0.62 mm, and those inoculated with FG2008 had only 0.064 mm. Although there was a slight difference in aggressiveness between the two species, it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Some variability was also noted in the responses of the durum wheat varieties and lines. The G8 genotype showed remarkable behavior in both isolates, with an average length of 1.83 mm for FC2006 and 0.4 mm for FG2008. The other genotypes showed total inhibition of coleoptile growth (0 mm). These findings highlight the importance of conducting further research on the defense mechanisms of durum wheat against Fusarium and assessing the local varieties’ pathogenicity to better explore the interactions between these pathogens and durum wheat genotypes under in vitro conditions.

Installing green roofs in urban areas is a sustainable practice towards the ecological transition, they offer many advantages with regards to reducing energy consumption, mitigating the urban heat island effect, managing runoff ...etc. In order to propagate this technique, green roofs have to be installed on the top of existing buildings, which can increase their vulnerability during seismic events. The present paper aims to evaluate the impact of green roof retrofitting on the seismic performance of a collective housing in Algeria. To this end, the finite element method was adopted to investigate the seismic-related parameters according to the Algerian seismic regulations. The studied reinforced concrete building is located in the district of Constantine (northern east of Algeria). It was found that the presence of concrete walls, recommended by the Algerian seismic regulations, increases the rigidity of the building, which reflects positively on the building’s natural period and displacements. As for the stress-related parameters, the reduced normal force does not increase much; however, a significant increase in the shear forces at the base due to green roof implementation was observed. It was also found that adding a green roof contributes more to the stabilizing moment than to the overturning one during an earthquake event. Hence, in the studied context, the presence of load-bearing concrete walls offers certain positive effects on green roof installation with regard to the seismic performance. Nevertheless, a thorough seismic investigation should be performed before installing green roofs on the top of existing collective housing in Algeria.