|
BEKAA -- Conserving Jordan's unique agro-biodiversity by sustainable land use is the objective of the five-year "Agrobiodiversity Project in Jordan" implemented by the National Centre for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT).
According to a Ministry of Agriculture official, it was mainly the drive for higher yields that accelerated the degradation of wild relatives and landraces of agricultural species in the Middle East.
"We lost a lot of our landraces -- varieties which have been planted in certain areas for a long time. These were replaced by new improved varieties that were introduced from outside [Jordan], and that yielded high production," Project Manager Mohammad Ajlouni told the Jordan Times. But, Ajlouni said, due to the poor adaptability of these improved varieties and their being prone to local diseases, they only provide high yields under ideal conditions, such as sufficient water supply and "moderate" temperatures -- conditions that are rare in Jordan.
He elaborated on the example of 'Hourani,' a wheat variety planted in the Ajloun area for 1,000 years that has become nearly extinct due to its replacement by imported improved wheat varieties in the 1970s. Ajlouni commented that although 'Hourani' wheat yields less than imported varieties, this drawback is offset by its steady production, even during drought periods, unlike imported varieties that produce only under ideal conditions.
"Its production was low, but if you look at the production over five years, the average yield is higher than that of the improved varieties. If you have droughts, improved varieties do not produce [at all], while 'Hourani' wheat produces at least half its normal production level," Ajlouni explained. Farmers cut down old orchards -- pistachio, olive, fig trees and forests -- to free the land for planting improved wheat varieties to make up for what was lost during drought years. "By planting improved wheat varieties they made local landraces and wild relatives disappear," he added.
Besides higher yields in Jordan's rough climate, Ajlouni said that 'Hourani' wheat also produces higher quality as both protein and fibre quantity are higher. The problem is much the same with improved varieties of fruit trees.
But after they realised that these improved varieties are not compatible with the soil and are very prone to diseases, locals started rethinking, said Ajlouni.
Reintroducing old varieties in an improved, higher yielding form is seen as the key to conserving Jordan's agrobiodiversity. To meet this end, seeds of old varieties will be improved by selection and breeding methods under NCARTT supervision.
To introduce old fruit trees suitable for local conditions, a nursery will be set up to breed old varieties to be grafted with the scion of a high-yielding improved variety.
According to Ajlouni, local farmers are enthusiastic about the idea of reintroducing old varieties, but traditional varieties need to be properly marketed in order to find their way to the consumer. He believes that the "green" trend and the longing for the "good old days" both favor the success of the project.
"If they don't make use of the trees [of old varieties], they will cut the trees. But if they appreciate them [due to a demand in the market], they will protect them. This is the core of the protect -- conservation through use," he enthused.
Two pilot sites have been chosen, representing contrasting ecosystems in Jordan.
In Ajloun, northwest of Amman, which falls in the high-rainfall zone of Jordan, the project activities focus on reintroducing old fruit tree varieties and 'Hourani' wheat, and in Muwaqqar, southeast of Amman, where it is dry, the project will focus on rangeland plants and field crops such as barley and wheat.
According to the success in the two areas, lessons learnt will be applied in other areas of the country. The project is a regional one and includes similar projects in the Palestinian National Authority territories, Syria and Lebanon. It is funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented in Jordan by the NCARTT in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme.
The estimated budget of the project is JD2.5 million, part of which is financed by GEF ($1.5 million) and $1 million in kind by the NCARTT.
|
|
he National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT), the executing institution of the GEF-UNDP dryland agrobiodiversity Project Component in Jordan, has taken significant action to support the project initiative in conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity. 