Among major constraints to crop production, salt stress affects the morphological structure and yield in crop plants. Nano-fertilizers, have made their hierarchy to supplement the traditional fertilizers in mitigating the effect of abiotic stress due to their slow release and efficiency. Three products were tested namely lithovit®-standard(LITHO), monopotassium-phosphate(MKP:0-52-34), and aspirin(ASP) on salt-stressed tomato crop. These products were applied through foliar spraying (foliar) or fertigation (ferti) on tomato plants irrigated with 4 saline solutions (4, 6, 8 and 10dS/m). Control plants were subjected to five salinity levels (0, 4, 6, 8 and 10dS/m) without any treatments. Results showed that increasing in salinity levels adversely affected all parameters in the control plants. The ameliorating effect of MKP-ferti was prominent in plant height, stem diameter, number of fruits, fruit weight and yield/plant at 4 and 6S/m. Whereas, the effect of salinity was mitigated by LITHO-foliar regarding flowers number and total chlorophyll content at all salinity level. Leaf N, P and K contents were accumulated higher when MKP-ferti was used whereas, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ contents were accumulated higher in the plants treated with LITHO-foliar. The cellular leakage of electrolyte was reduced at 4, 6 and 10dS/m with MKP-ferti and at 8dS/m with LITHO-foliar application. Among the two methods of application, foliar spraying of LITHO and ASP, and fertigation of MKP improved plant performance more than their complementary methods of application. The better performance of MKP necessitates the use of phosphorous and potassium-based nano-fertilizers. It can reduce the production cost of vegetables using conventional fertilizers.

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of irrigation water temperature and shading on the rate of photosynthesis and transpiration in four varieties of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) – green foliage (‘Salakis’ and ‘Estony’) and red foliage (‘Lollo Rossa’ and ‘Nika’). During the production of seedlings in the greenhouse, two irrigation water temperature regimes (12 and 20°C) were applied. After transplanting in the field plants were grown under three lighting systems (100, 70, and 50% of lighting in the open). The rates of photosynthesis and transpiration were measured at the end of the greenhouse period and 14 days after shading in the field using a Li 6400 infrared gas analyzer. In most varieties, cooling of the irrigation water was not found to have an effect on the rate of photosynthesis. Plants of all the varieties responded to the decrease in irrigation water temperature and to strong shading by reducing transpiration and increasing the water use efficiency. The ‘Salakis’ and ‘Estony’ plants have shown the best adaptability to the changing conditions and therefore they could be used successfully in the practice of extending vegetative growth.

The need for an agricultural system in the Mediterranean countries consuming fewer chemicals and respecting the environment becomes a pressing element. The use of natural beneficial microorganisms that enhance soil fertility could be a promising solution. Lebanese Beneficial Microorganisms (LBM) were extracted and evaluated for their capacity of promoting plant growth. Two combinations of LBM were compared to chemical fertilizers: alone (treatment B) or with an organic fertilizer (treatment A). Under field conditions, significant positive effects on height, leaf biomass, and fruit production were obtained starting from day 15 for both tested crops. Treatment A was the most efficient in enhancement of different growth parameters. Hence, Capsicum annuum shoots were 44.4% longer with 99.5% and 51.2% increase in the number of leaves and flowers per plant, respectively. Fruit yield increased over the control by 31.7% in C. annuum and 37.5% in Solanum lycopersicum. However, treatment B exhibited the highest significant values of root length and weight in S. lycopersicum. This study highlights the efficiency of both LBM combinations in the total absence of chemical fertilizers and the increase in their outcome by the addition of organic products. The use of native microbial consortia represents a novel strategy for the development of biofertilizers.

Phenotypic plasticity refers to the ability of genotypes to exhibit different phenotypes in response to environmental conditions. The AMMI model is often used to analyze this interaction in multienvironment trials. In a study involving six tomato genotypes grown in different environments, genotype L88 yielded the highest average at nearly 31 t/ha, while L27 and L53 had the lowest yields. The AMMI biplot indicated that genotypes L49 and L21 had strong interactions with the Pazardzhik environment, while L88 had a positive interaction with the Požega environment. The analysis concluded that AMMI is effective for assessing trait stability in multienvironment trials.

The mixed application of suspension leaf fertilizer lactofol [lac. Fe] with pesticides [herbicides & insecticides] stimulated high control effects, which didn’t decrease the weed & insect control affects by reducing the pesticide doses with 12.5 & 25%. The insecticide control was effective against mites when the lac. Fe was used alone without any mitecides. The yield was increased (7.4-28.4%) after treatment with mixed application of lac. Fe and pesticides. The highest yield was obtained (28.4%) when the lac. Fe was mixed with 25% decrease in pesticide doses. These results certified the economic & ecological value of this technology.