​During the previous potato season, FAFS’ Drs. Isam Bashour, Mustapha Haidar and Yousef Abou Jawdeh collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a project to develop a sustainable fertilization and crop management program for the potato crop in Bekaa. This project focuses on the economic, environmental and health aspects of production.  During this project, nine field experiments were conducted on farmers’ land in the Bekaa region, from Karoun in the south  to Shaath in the north. The results showed that eight out of nine field trials produced a higher yield, using less fertilizers and pesticides, than is being used by the farmers. This means that farmers can now grow a larger yield with less chemical use, producing healthier crops and healthier lands. 

As the new season is starting soon, FAFS’ Agriculture Team will relaunch the project during March 2020.  Like last year, the field trial will be repeated at AREC this year and the results of the harvest yield using less fertilizers and pesticides will be hopefully great. During the growing season the professors will be visiting the farmers’ fields with the FAO personnel to monitor the development of the crop. 

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