Olive jift is a solid by-product of olive (Olea europea) oil processing. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate olive jift effect on broomrape (Orobanche spp.) infections on three crops. Soil—jift mixtures were used as potting 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, 600, 750, and 900 seeds/kg. Pots planted with faba bean or pea were inoculated with seeds of O. crenata Forsk., whereas pots planted with tomato were inoculated with seeds of O. lavandulacea Reichenb. Jift in soil reduced broomrape 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 observed in faba bean and tomato grown in jift-mixed soils. Fresh and dry weights of all crops were not adversely affected by mixing jift with soil. These results suggest a possible use of jift as an inexpensive organic material for broomrape control.
