Olive (Olea europea) jift suppresses broomrape (Orobanche spp.) infectionsin faba bean (Vicia faba), pea (Pisum sativum), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Olive jift is a solid by-product of olive (Olea europea) oil processing. Gr eenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate olive jift effect on broomr ape (Orobanche spp.) infections on three crops. Soil-jift mixtures were use d as getting medium in ratios of 1:0, 1:1, and 3:1 soil to jift. Broomrape seeds were evenly incorporated in the potting media at 0, 150, 300, 450, 60 0, 750, and 900 seeds/kg. Pots planted with faba bean or pea were inoculate d with seeds of O. crenata Forsk., whereas pots planted with tomato were in oculated with seeds of O. lavandulacea Reichenb. Jift in soil reduced broom rape germination and infection on all three hosts regardless of inoculation densities. Pea was not infected with broomrape in jift-containing media at any inoculation density, whereas only sporadic broomrape infections were o bserved in faba bean and tomato grown in jift-mixed soils. Fresh and dry we ights of all crops were not adversely affected by mixing jift with soil. Th ese results suggest a possible use of jift as an inexpensive organic materi al for broomrape control.