Improvement of cereals and grain legumes namely wheat, barley, lentils and chickpeas through crossing and breeding for new improved varieties to be released eventually to the farmers.

* Head of department Rabih KABALAN

* Research assistant    Joelle Breidy

* Research assistant    Ali Attar

* Other staff: Store keepers, field workers.

Title: On-Farm Variety Trials for Cereals and Grain Legumes.

Objective: Identify new varieties with high productivity, good grain quality & good adaptation to different climatic conditions.

Duration: Annual

Partners: ICARDA

Title: Cereals and Grain Legume Improvement Projects

Objective: To create new varieties of barley, wheat, lentils and chickpeas.

Duration: Continuous.

Partners: None.

 Title: Effects of sowing density and cropping practices on the yield of some wheat cultivars (Durum and Aestivum) under supplemental irrigation in Northern Bekaa Valley.

Objective: To study the effect of sowing density and some mechanical cropping practices on the yield of wheat under semi-arid conditions.

Duration: 3 Years.

Partners: Department of Irrigation and Agrometeorology, and Rural Development Project of the Upper Bekaa Valley

Six new high yielding varieties of wheat,barley,lentils and chickpeas were released in the past 5 years to the farmers.

* Collection of wild and medicinal plants (in collaboration with KEW Gardens)

* Production of wheat certified seeds for the Ministry of Trade and Economics.

* Improvement Durum Wheat for Water Use Efficiency (in Collaboration with the European Union)