The Emirates Pulses with - KIAAI...The Al Ain and Liwa oases: a cherished desert agricultural heritage Investments in a Holistic Vision of the New Oasis City Are Critical for Improved

Nahayan Mabarak Al NahayanMinister of Culture and Knowledge DevelopmentChairman of Khalifa International AwardFor Date Palm And Agricultural Innovation

The Emirates Pulses with Smart GivingFor the second year respectively, the oasis city “Siwa” is witnessing the events of the Egyptian Dates Festival as an honor from H.H Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and implemented by the Secretariat General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation under its commitment to achieve its strategic objectives of disseminating the culture and care of developing date palm sector at the Arab and international levels. Such objectives have been manifested in more than one location around the world, most notably the events Siwa Oasis in the Arab Republic of Egypt is witnessing in terms of agriculture, production and marketing. The Second Egyptian Dates Festival has embodied a milestone in the life of the Oasis’ people and a turning point that has boosted the Egyptian farmer’s confidence in his fine date products and their local and international marketing through rehabilitation of Siwa Dates Factory after a ten-year stop. The rehabilitation cost of the factory was EGP 5 Million and the Secretary General of the Award provided international experts and consultants for rehabilitation of the factory which have had much impact on the life of the people of the oases and the region and allowed them the opportunity to improve the output of such agriculture and industry and the workers in this field. A look at what the United Arab Emirates has been doing and the technical, technological, financial and cognitive support it has been providing to the various world countries and in all sectors would show a translation of the wise vision of H.H Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (God protects Him), follow-up of H.H Shiekh Mohamad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Higher Commander of the Armed Forces, and attention of H.H Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs through support of our brothers in the Arab Republic of Egypt and as a normal continuation of the noble attitude of the Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (God’s mercy), founder and builder of the United Arab Emirates who spared no effort to support the Arab brothers, particularly in sustainable development issues for the good and happiness of the human being. The United Arab Emirates is the pulsing heart of the Arabs with its smart giving, responsible for achievement of sustainable development at all levels up to approximating or, even, exceeding fulfillment of the needs of the local community in the Arab region. Agricultural Sector, in general, and date palm, in particular, both in the UAE and the Arab region has occupied an important space within the thinking of H.H President of the United Arab Emirates (God protects Him) and won a great deal of his efforts, making such a vital sector go a long way within a record time in spite of the great challenges, lest of which is the harsh nature. The developmental strategy set by H.H Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan depended on the principle of balance and activation of all the available resources and has undertaken to keep pace with the movement of smart development and transformation the world economy has been witnessing.

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Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid Prof.Secretary General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation,General Supervisor

We all Share the Responsibility

Our Message

Under the guidance and support of H.H Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, and towards emphasizing the solid relations between the United Arab Emirates and Arab Republic of Egypt, strengthening the bonds of mutual cooperation and highlighting of the UAE’s leading role in support of the agricultural sector as well as emphasizing the standing of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation and its constructive role in development and upgrading of the date palm sector at the Arab and international levels;Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation is honored by proceeding with support of the national efforts for advancement of the Egyptian dates following the great success achieved by the Egyptian Dates Festival at Siwa in its first edition, October 8 to 10, 2015.H.E Eng. Tarek Qabil, Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry, issued Decision No.56/2016 of January 14, 2016 for the formation of the “National Committee of Advancement of Egyptian Dates Sector”. Membership of the Committee included: Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Egyptian Dates Society, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Committee is intended to combine the efforts and initiatives to be implemented and to develop a national plan for advancement of the Egyptian date palm and dates sector and increase of the competitiveness of its products.Egypt’s Office of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)in cooperation with the Secretariat General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation elaborated a national strategy for development of the date palm and dates sector in Egypt. The proposed strategy focuses on how to grant added value to Egyptian dates towards attaining a better position in the world markets. Nowadays; no product is sold only because of good quality but also due to introducing it to the consumer. The consumer does not buy a product only because of its assumed quality but rather due to being supported by a system ensuring its compatibility with the consumer needs, as well. Best preparation of the product and introducing services ensuring appropriate dates for the targeted markets would save a lot of efforts, most likely wasted in exploring the market. We may conclude that dates sector in Egypt at the production, packaging, transport and marketing levels, is mainly oriented to the local market, and considered a basis for development of the sector so far. The recorded and anticipated high growth in production raises the problem of how to dispose of the expected surplus in production. The unavoidable solution lies in exporting dates and their products.The local market, however, remains the most important marketing outlet but a trend to develop export markets, especially those with high demand, could positively affect the whole sector and local sales. Should the proposed projects be adopted and implemented for developing each phase within the executive plan of such a strategy, Egyptian Dates might occupy the rightful position and compete with similar varieties of high quality dates from all over the world for satisfying the consumer.The Secretariat General of the Award has the honor to put this strategy in the hands of decision-makers, academics, researchers, specialists, producers, manufacturers and lovers of the blessed tree in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Publication criteria in the magazine

• The Articles should be new, dedi-cated particularly to the Award’s magazine, and have not published before.

• Articles are to be in a soft copy, whether in Arabic or English, and should be supported by specialized sources and references at the end.

• Researches and studies should be accompanied by the required scien-tific photographs of high quality (digital / high resolution).

• Articles and photographs are to be submitted to the magazine by e-mail, or to be sent to the Award’s P.O. Box on a CD with a typed and printed hard copy.

• The magazine is not obliged to return the articles back, whether published or not, to the participants.

• A writer of an article should enclose a personal photo with his CV including the full name, phone number, email and P.O. Box, in addi-tion to the bank account number in English (Name, Name of the Bank, Account Number and Swift Code) in order to allow sending him the due amount in case the article is published, in compliance with the Magazine’s financial system.

• All Articles in the magazine neces-sarily reflect the views of their respective authors and do not oblige Khalifa International Award For Date Palm And Agricultural Innovation.

• Scientific subjects in the maga-zine are arranged according to technical considerations.

• The Magazine welcomes readers from all the date palm lovers around the world, who contribute in deepening the knowledge and building a sustainable society.

Magazine CorrespondencesAll technical and scientific

materials are to be addressed to Editorial Manager, on the

following address:[email protected]

KHALIFA INTERNATIONAL AWARD

FOR DATE PALM AND AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION

P.O. Box 3614, Abu Dhabi,UAE

Tel: +971 2 3049999Fax: +971 2 3049990

[email protected] www.kiaai.ae

The Blessed TreeA seasonal scientific magazine

specialized in date palms

Published byKhalifa International Award For Date

Palm And Agricultural InnovationNational Media Council Permit

No. 1/107006/29505ISBN978-9948-15-335-1

Volume No. 09 , Issue No. 01Shabaan, 1438 Hijri

May 2017

Honorary Chairman

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan

Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development,

Chairman of the Award Board of Trustees

General Coordinator Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid

Award Secretary General

Editorial ManagerDr. Emad Saad

[email protected]

Legal DirectorDr. Helal Humaid Saad Al Kaabi

Head of the Finance & Administration Committee

Public Relations ManagerAhed Karkouti

[email protected]

Design, Layout and PrintingNaya Excellence Group

Mobile: +97150 [email protected]

All issues of the Blessed Tree magazine are availableon KIAAI website: www.kiaai.ae

6

Quantitative and qualitative inventory of Arthropods in Ziban oasis ecosystem (Ain Ben Noui, Biskra, Algeria).

The Al Ain and Liwa oases: a cherished desert agricultural heritage

Investments in a Holistic Vision of the New Oasis City Are Critical for Improved Livelihoods in Drylands in the Face of Climate Change

24

34

Dehydrating Unripe Date Fruits Using Solar Dryer

10

Vitality and Morpgological Characteristics of Pollen Grains of some Iraqi Date Palm Cultivars (Phoenix dactylifera) 42

The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and its role in date palm production and sustainability 48

Comparing the Efficacy of Dates and Oxytocin in the Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage. 58

Analytical study of the competitive situation of the Algerian dates in the international markets 64

Effects of two natural mix oils (BIORYNK) on the larval and adult stages of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliver (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) 76

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth and physiology of date palm seedlings under phosphorus deficit 82

Contents

6 KHALIFA INTERNATIONAL AWARDFOR DATE PALM AND AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION

Investments in a Holistic Vision of the New Oasis City Are Critical for Improved Livelihoods in Drylands in the Face of Climate ChangeA novel public-private partnership leads thinking and development for food, nutrition, and environmental security in the MENA region post Paris Climate Agreement

Agriculture, especially in drylands of the North Africa and Middle East (MENA) region is a critical area for climate change action, now that the Paris Climate Agreement has entered into force.

Yet the question remains whether multi-disciplinary collaboration and funding can be successfully leveraged to support some of the most innovative climate-smart initiatives out there across different sectors, including research, academia, private sector, policy makers, civil society, local

Tana Lala-PritchardGlobal Communications Coordina-tor, CGIAR Research Program on

Dryland Systems

communities and development agencies.

Last month, at the Morocco climate conference (COP22), the new Urban and Rural Areas Resilience Programme on Oasis Cities (URAROOC) was presented, precisely as the kind of public-private partnership and investment needed to secure better livelihoods and natural resources management in the face of climate change for many dryland communities across the MENA region, which faces

7THE BLESSED TREE | MAY 2017

enormous challenges that affect its socio-economic and political stability, as well as the growing trend of conflict-driven migration.

“The Urban and Rural Areas Resilience Programme Oasis Cities is a good example of climate action on both mitigation and adaptation under the Paris Agreement,” said Mr. Tomasz Chruszczow, Chair of The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) during the opening of the event.

Any disturbance of such equilibrium could jeopardize forever the oasis system as a whole. (Tana I think we need to add info on “equilibrium” because this is what we are losing across all eco-systems).

By responding directly to the Paris Climate Agreement call for greater engagement of non-state actors, the Oasis Cities programme brings together a diverse, multidisciplinary team, who seek to assess and evaluate the socio-economic aspects of the interconnections between oasis cities and their rural areas, and provide holistic sustainable solutions that can be scaled up to over 40 countires after testing in pilot projects in four desert cities, including Marrakech (Morocco), the Siwa Oasis (Egypt), the Nizwa Oasis (Oman) and the Liwa Oasis (United Arab Emirates).

Designed with special attention to the various Paris Climate

Agreement articles on mitigation, adaptation, technology development and transfer, capacity building and dissemination of climate knowledge, as well as consideration for key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the mission of this new Programme is to generate viable, alternative livelihood strategies for people living in oasis ecosystems, while conserving biodiversity and safeguarding cultural knowledge and traditions for generations to come.

“The programme introduces a new vision of the Oasis City, by espousing exciting developments and cutting–edge innovations in agriculture, technology, architecture, urbanization, whilst reviving and elevating local knowledge and traditions,” noted Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid Prof., Secretary General of the Khalifa International Date Palm Award and Agricultural Innovation (KIDPAAI)

OASIS: a diverse ecosystem managed by farming community around natural water resources in hot arid deserts.


and FAO Goodwill Ambassador to the UAE, in his opening key note speech to the event.

The whole point of the Oasis Cities program is to define and roll out viable livelihood strategies, initiate new economic activities through technology development and transfer, build local skills and capacities, and identify and support the development of better socio-economic linkages between oases and related urban areas.

In this context, Dr. Zaid went on to explain the “oasis effect” in terms of its environmental and socio-economic benefits, and urged that the holistic development of the oasis ecosystems can help – on a larger scale - mitigate the negative effects of climate change and resource degradation by human activities in dryland areas, where desertification affects over 100 counties and 1.5 billion people, who depend on these lands.

Other distinguished panelists weighed in on some of the

most pressing challenges and opportunities for oasis communities, and how these have informed the philosophy and action plan of the new and ambitious Urban and Rural Areas Resilience Programme on Oasis Cities:

The tone was set by Chris Trott, Head of Sustainability with Foster and Partners who painted a picture of the future sustainable and resilient city, while Dr. Sandra Piesik, architect and individual researcher with the same firm elaborated how indigenous knowledge and transfer of technology in date palm leaf architecture are incorporated in the Programme for creating the new vision of the resilient oasis city.

Dr. Piesik emphasized the role of “innovation, research and development and public-private partnerships in technology development and transfer focused on adaption of traditional technologies and resources

to various stages of baseline, intermediate and developed technologies whilst meeting social aspirations of rural and urban communities”.

Dr. Richard Thomas, Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems spoke about “the importance of reaching out, engaging and supporting young people, particularly women, through training and skills development in technology, agriculture, entrepreneurship, access to funding, etc.”

Dr. Mohammed Ben Salah of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) noted the research evidence on the date palm as a “vital plant in the desert oasis eco-system, providing an important critical source of food, nutrition, and income for rural communities.” Worldwide there are over 3000 varieties of the date palm (including the better known ones, such as Deglet


Nour, Medjhool, Zehdi, Barhi, Khalas), which are cultivated in 46 countries. Specialized knowledge and labor are critical to the cultivation of date palms and sustainable oasis ecosystem development, particularly in the face of climate change.

“Climate change has serious implications for the biodiversity, eco-safety, poverty eradication, socio-economic stability, and sustainable development in oasis areas, as well as globally. Demand for date palm production in oasis communities and drylands in general is bound to surge with increasing populations and food demand, which are exacerbated by other pressures, such as water scarcity and resource degradation,” said Dr. Zaïd Salah Eddine, Technical Director of the Marrakech Date Palm Project (MDPP).

That is why MDPP and its cutting-edge technologies and laboratory on date palm genetics, propagation and increased species diversity has been set up to meet national demand for Morocco’s National Green Plan, as well as international demand for high quality date palms as a long term means to eradicate chronic hunger and poverty in drylands, whilst preserving and enhancing biodiversity. The MDPP intends to produce 100,000 date palm plants annually with the aim of doubling production within the first years.

Dr Slim Zekri, Head of Economics at Sultan Qaboos University defined key “economic aspects impacting oasis development in the context of water management, measures aimed at the increase of oasis profitability and reforms in policy frameworks”.

On the other hand, Mr. Sebastian Lange in contribution with Stephanie Loose and Jane Reid

of UN-Habitat laid out how the Oasis Cities Programme would be a project in line with the global aim of enhancing urban-rural linkages for implementing the New Urban Agenda. The New Urban Agenda was adopted by UN Member States in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. It sets global standards of achievements for urban development for the next 20 years and its key message is “Leaving no-one (and no space) behind”. Mr. Lange noted that the successful implementation of the Oasis Cities Programme as aligned with with the New Urban Agenda and would also help meet several Sustainable Development Goals, and especially SDG 11, target 11.a which stipulates “Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, per-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.”

Indeed, the Oasis Cities Programme builds on existing successful private sector initiatives, such as the Taziry Ecolodge and Sustainable Village in the Siwa Oasis, which was recently awarded the Sustainable Cities & Human Settlements Award at the 11th Global Forum on Human Settlements in Ecuador this past October.

Described by many who have visited the place as “heaven on earth”, the Taziry village at the Siwa Oasis embodies the very concept of sustainability by “respecting nature and people, by promoting local art, culinary, spiritual and cultural traditions, and by ensuring future generations will get to enjoy and celebrate these aspects as well. We are very proud to be part of this ambitious project and share our knowledge and experience with others who seek to emulate it,” noted Mr. Taha Chaabi, Founder and General Manager.

A dynamic discussion followed the panel presentations, during which members of the audience and panelists explored together answers to the following questions:

How do we help oasis cities to attract climate smart investment necessary for implementation?

Are there other cities that could collaborate with oasis cities to become “knowledge partners” and benefit from shared learning?

How can oasis eco-systems contribute to the sustainability of oasis cities in the face of climate change?

What are the best options, tools, mechanisms that oasis cities can utilize in order to better share “know how” with each other?

The enthusiasm and interest expressed by representatives of national governments, civil society and the private sector for this kind of program in the MENA region is definitely encouraging. Many countries and actors are taking steps on their own accord, seeking collaborations and partnerships to lay the groundwork for action at local and national levels, and the months to come will be critical to operationalizing the funding structure for rolling out the Urban and Rural Areas Resilience Programme on Oasis Cities.

ICARDA and its CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems will continue to build and provide a body of research evidence that will help the partners in the Urban and Rural Areas Resilience Programme on Oasis Cities deliver progress on its ambitious set of targets in order to support implementation of innovative and climate-smart agriculture in the MENA region, as part of its mission to improve livelihoods in dryland communities.


Dehydrating Unripe Date Fruits

Using Solar Dryer

AbstrActSolar dehydration is an old process for food preservation. Purpose to dehydrate the full matured date fruit is to reduce the water content into 25% or less of the fresh weight to preserve the fruit quality after harvesting or during storage. Date fruit contains up to 65% moisture at Khalal stage and decreases into 30-40% by ripening stage (Rutab stage) and less than 20% in the dry varieties by the time of Tamer stage while fruit remains on the tree. Problem appears when the fruit have to be harvested unripe due to inadequate ambient conditions. It could be monsoon rains coincidence during ripening like in Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia, USA and Pakistan. Consequently the unripe fruit cured under sun radiation for approximately 6 days exposed to dirt, pest attack or/and sudden rain fall. Otherwise alternative methods including the solar dryers used. There have different types of solar tunnels been using in different countries but the capacity was limited of 200-400 Kg of unripe fruit approx. per cycle, cost at high level and more effort required. Recently a design of solar tunnel

Adel Aboel soaud

Horticulture Research Institute, ARC

[email protected]

Figure 1. ‘half Rutab’ date fruit of the predominant cultivar in Pakistan ‘Aseel’.


was installed by USAID Pakistan to produce about 1000 Kg of ripen fruit after 3 days. The development of different types of solar tunnels in Pakistan was discussed in the current article.

IntroductIonDrying or dehydration is an essential process because it is the most common method of preserving and storing the agricultural products. The dehydration process can be done through sun curing or artificially through heat treatment using different types of chambers and heat supplements. Date palm is known as the most significant horticultural crop of Pakistan and holds a very important position in the agricultural horizon of Sindh (Marwat et al. 2012). Khairpur is the biodiversity Centre of date palm in Pakistan having more than 300 varieties (Markhand et al. 2010). Aseel is the predominant cultivar of Khairpur district and semi-dry in nature and most exported date cultivar of Pakistan (Fig. 1).

Open sun drying is still widely practiced technique being used for drying unripe date fruit in Khairpur, Pakistan because of the cost and technicalities of using other alternatives. Solar tunnel technology could be the better choice which is not only efficient but also assists to maintain fruit quality (Abul-Soad 2016). Solar tunnel drying is a worldwide method for drying different horticultural crops by using solar energy which increases its value during off-season of date crop. Solar tunnel was tested in several countries like Algeria (Boubekri et al., 2009; Chouicha et al., 2014; Mennouche et al. 2014), KSA (Almuhanna 2012) Oman (Basunia et al. 2012) and Pakistan (Abul-Soad 2016; Abul-Soad et al. 2015). However, most of the designs were with a limited capacity not enough to accommodate the

Figure 2. Severe effort with unfolding mats at dawn every day to avoid night dew in open sun curing.

Figure 3. Plastic tables with folded metal legs for sun curing of unripe date fruit to get hygienic product.

vast amount of the fruit within a limited time of harvesting (a couple of months approximately). Not only the capacity but also easier operation to check out the temperature within the tunnel and control automatically the relative humidity through the fans. To place fruit inside the tunnel or to get it out must be with minimum effort compared to sun curing method. Using the solar energy to produce electricity for operating the fans or to produce much heat to dry out the fruit was a necessary supplement to some designs of

solar tunnels at open areas that may be away from suitable source of energy.

Factors controlling dehydration inside the tunnel are the temperature and relative humidity. The temperature above 55˚C may cause the burning of sugars (caramelization) and darkening the fruits. There is a range of temperatures suited to different date palm cultivars like Halawy requires approx. 55˚C (20% moisture remains after drying), Deglet Noor and Medjool Cvs.


required 50˚C (Zaid 2002). In a study on Aseel cv. fruit in Khairpur distract in Pakistan, measured temperature inside the solar tunnel during the day ranged between 51-64 C compared to outside temperature which was 15 C less and relative humidity was reduced 10% less than outside the tunnel. This difference caused fruit ripening within 2.5 days as the fruit moisture content reached 18% and associated with fruit weight loss (Mari et al. 2016).

There is another factor may impact the dehydration process which is the unripe fruit stage

whether ‘Khalal’, half Rutab’ with brown soft tip or ‘full rutab’. The overwhelming majority of the scientists were using ‘half rutab’ at their experiments. Growers used to pick the early ripened fruit by shaking the fruit bunch from one to three times before cutting off the bunch when about 50% of the fruit reached the ‘half Rutab’. The remaining 50% of the fruit bunch are at ‘Khalal’ stage. Sometimes, semi-dry cultivars are being planted at unsuitable areas and need more heat units by the time of harvesting to reduce the fruit moisture content. In this scenario

solar tunnel can compensate this deficiency in heat units.

the Because of the importance of solar drying, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and individuals established different types of solar tunnel dryers in dispersed areas of the district Khairpur but unfortunately with no any prominent success due to operational and technical problems that will be discussed in the current article.

Country like Pakistan having a hot weather has gone for sun curing (Fig. 2). But the coincidence of monsoon rains at the time of harvesting could damage whole the crop extended on mats for curing or even remained on the tree for harvesting. The only way left for the growers is to early harvest the crop in July. Early harvested ‘half Rutab’ and ‘Rutab’ fruit are extended on mats for sun curing to get dates fruit with less moisture content to be handed or stored in good quality and the unripe fruit at ‘Khalal’ stage will go to the local recipe called ‘Chohara’ by boiling. The later one is less in price than the cured dates fruit, but it is only quick way to dry out unripe fruit. The later type ‘Chohara’ is mainly exported to India. This recipe can be found in Oman as well with another local name ‘Tabseel’. It can

Figure 4. Infestation of date fruit bunch with Dry Fruit Beetle (Carpophilus dimidiatus) caused late fruit drop before harvesting.

Figure 5. Accumulating date fruit in a pile covered with mats away from light accelerated ripening process.


mentioned that about 10-20% of total date fruit production goes for drying whereas the rest goes to make ‘Chohara’. Number of date’s factories is increasing day after day along with a need for more cured dates for processing to get better price.

As a simple alternative for the mats used in sun curing, an easy-fold plastic tables were offered. There have been growing concern for hygienic product to use this subsidized easy-fold plastic tables and place unripe fruit in a single layer (Fig. 3). But using plastic tables viable alternative to the mats because of the cost, fruit moist by dew dawn and wide space occupied by these tables alike traditional mats.

There is an urgent need for getting much more cured dates in spite of monsoon rains and the limited harvesting period of time. Thus, solar tunnels were suitable option to rescue the crop. However, fossil oil, electricity and other sources of energy in Pakistan are very expensive which made no choice except to go back to the nature and use solar energy. The components of the structure were discussed as well.

sun curIng of dAte fruIt At dhAkkI vIllAge Direct sun radiation could affect the process of unripe date fruit. In a special recipe for sun curing at one of date palm centers in Pakistan, Dhakki village in Dera Ismail Khan, the date fruit covered entirely with mats for a single day to accelerate ripening process. The predominant cultivar has been given same name of the place ‘Dhakki’ cv. The overwhelming majority of trees are harvested while date fruit at ‘Khalal’ stage. Fruit can’t reach naturally the

‘Rutab’ stage on tree due to the high relative air moisture (50-70%) and low temperature (30 – 38 oC). If the date fruit cop on the trees till normal ripening time makes fruit liable to severe attack of the late season pests especially the storage pests. The early ripened fruit with brown tip are tremendously infested with a particular pest dry

fruit betel causing severe fruit drop (Fig. 4). This insect was detected at Khairpur too (Abul-Soad et al. 2015). Nevertheless, date palm trees at mountain range produced earlier crop and may reach Rutab stage on the tree.

Growers used to cut off the fruit bunch in July and transfer them

Figure 6. A single cemented room provided with a solar cell unit as a source for heat.

Figure 7. The dryer chamber and the metal stand of trays made from woody frame and net of wires base.


into upper mountain area for sun curing in which fruit were left for 1-2 days in sun then gathered in piles and covered with plastic sheet then with mats for a single day (Fig. 5). After then, mats were removed and more than 90% of the unripe date fruit became full Rutab and dried out. Most probably, darkness, higher temperature and capturing the moisture within the pile accelerated ripening process. The physiological changes taken place in the fruit during covering in this old recipe worth to be studied.

solAr dryer types There was a history for the development of a variety of means to dehydrate the date fruit. All trials seemed not to have a great influence on accelerating the dehydration process artificially due to the above mentioned reasons. Nevertheless, presenting the different types of solar dehydrators and discussing the aspects of operation with suggestions to reach to an applicable and easy use design is necessity of the day.

the solAr-cell dryerIt was designed to use the heat generated by a solar unit to allow unripe date fruit to continue its ripening and reduce fruit moisture content. This type of dryers consisted of a single small room 2 meters height and about 6 square meters wide built from bricks and cement. The room painted from inside with black color and provided with a metal door to get the stands in and out. The room was connected to the second part of the dryer via a tube connect to the solar cell units (Fig. 6 and 7).

The stands were made from iron and painted in black. Each stand composed of 15 shelves carrying the wooden trays (Fig. 7). Each tray loaded with about 3-4 Kg unripe date fruit. The humid air was exhausted by fan and temperature inside the dryer room was about 40-70 oC. The disadvantage of this type is the low capacity where up to 10 stands can be handled in each cycle for at least 3 days. The

number of inflated fruit was high due to the excess of heat inside the dryer which can’t be controlled. The overall capacity this type was less than half ton/3days. This type was installed in 2010 by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and wasn’t successful on the commercial side and is no more there.

solAr-cum-gAs fIred dAtes dryer The previous type was updated this year by a new version through SAARC Development Fund, PARC to accommodate more fruit. Five units dispersed in different areas of upper Sindh in 2016. A metal-made room replaced the room made from bricks in old design and equipped with more trays to increase the capacity to accommodate more fresh dates fruit. In this room of 2×2 meters, 120 trays of wires were placed in 4 groups. This design allowed easy use to place the trays in and to get out. Also to check out the position of drying unripe fruit. Each tray

Figure 8. Solar-Cum-Gas Fired Dates Dryer installed recently by PARC.


loaded with a single layer of 5 Kg. The load capacity reached about 600 Kg fresh fruit. This dryer was provided with a movable window to get out the moisture and check point for the inside temperature. Therefore the dryer supported with Natural Gas unit to ensure the heat in case of decreasing the night temperature less than 55˚C. The disadvantage of this design is the manual operation for air moisture exhaust and checking out the inside temperature which is difficult to handle under the harsh weather in the month of July and August in which the temperature can reach 50˚C in the open air. No data are available about the quality of the dried fruit inside this type till the moment.

solAr tunnel mAde from brIcks And bAmboo Arcs The high cost solar tunnels made from metal pushed the growers to think over using the available cheap materials in the nature to use it such as brick made from mud and Bamboo sticks. It is a tunnel covered with plastic sheet to keep the temperature higher than outside the tunnel and protect the drying fruit from the likelihood rain fall.

The main frame was built from the bricks and ventilation windows were made in the both short side walls of the tunnel (Fig. 9). Arcs made from the elastic Bamboo sticks used to carry the transparent plastic sheet. These Bamboo sticks are widely utilized for making roofs of the houses in Pakistan. The door was made from one side and the opposite side closed with the bricks and only a couple of small windows made for ventilation. Fruit spread over the mats inside the tunnel and because of the limited capacity of such design, growers had to use

the ordinary way of sun curing too. Growers weren’t satisfied about this type of solar dryers in spite of the lower cost compared to other design.

metAl-frAme solAr tunnel wIth A sIngle fruIt lAyerThis type was installed in 2011 and from this model the latest one of USAID’s firms project was developed in 2012. In fact the

development process of solar tunnel dryers is endless till to get a commercial and applicable one. The current solar tunnel was built on a cemented base and the metal frame of arcs covered with transparent plastic sheet (Fig. 10). The trays made of a wooden frame and base from plastic net to avoid fruit burn when touches metal base. Trays were with short wooden legs to be placed above each other. Also, plastic crates were used as trays. But this didn’t

Figure 9. Solar tunnel built from bricks and Bamboo sticks covered with plastic sheets.

Figure 10. A solar tunnel facilitated with wooden and plastic trays.


increase the capacity much and accumulated the moisture around the fruit which increased the period of drying more than 3 days. The capacity of this solar dryer was half ton/cycle of 3-4 days. Trays needs considerable effort to be arranged in 2-5 layers of trays. The lower trays required more days for fruit maturation. No fans in this type to attract the moisture from the tunnel. Ventilation restricted only on 2 small windows. The current design was found impractical like other models.

It is worth to mention that increasing the temperature inside the tunnel caused skin separation of the fruit instead of normal dehydration by fruit shriveling (Fig. 11).

the low-tunnel solAr This type used in Oman to dry out ‘half Rutab’ date fruit with capacity 180-200 Kg/cycle of 3 days (Basunia et al. 2012). The low tunnel is twelve meters long

by two meters wide (Fig. 12). Base made from wood sheets and arcs from metal and covered with plastic sheet. A thin sheet of metal has been painted with black paint and fixed in the half of this tunnel (6 meters long), but the rest of the tunnel was loaded with single layer of the fruit. As the year of 2013 was the first year to test such design by one of the progressive growers in Sindh, different fruit types were successfully tested within this type of solar tunnels dryers (Fig. 13).

The tunnels placed on stones instead of the metal legs to reduce the cost. This design recently updated by increasing the wide into double (4 meters) to increase the capacity. This design made to load and unload the fruit much easier as the unripe fruit spread over a plastic sheet. Also, it easy to check out the position of the fruit throughout the transparent plastic cover (Fig. 14).

For ventilation, a fan has fixed in the empty side to push in the air which getting hot through passing above the black metal to dry out the unripe date fruit within 3-4 days. In the other side 3 windows were fixed to be opened when fax working (Fig. 15). Growers were comfortable with this design which needs source of electricity to run the fans (Fig. 16). But capacity still not within the commercial demand.

solAr tunnel of usAId’s fIrms project This design developed in 2012 with a bigger capacity reached to 2.5 tonnes fresh fruit to produce a tone every cycle of 2.5-3 days (Abul-Soad 2016; Abul-Soad et al. 2015; Mari et al. 2016). The one made from a metal frame and provided with fans to exhaust the moisture from the tunnel to outside (Fig. 17). These fans are working by solar

Figure 11. Changes in the unripe date fruit during dehydration inside the solar tunnel dryer.

Figure 12. The solar low-tunnel dryer.


cells to provide energy in case of insufficient electricity current. The cost is important factor that may encounter the dissemination of such solar dehydrators. Estimated cost reached a million rupees which equal to 10 thousand US Dollars.

Figure 17 shows the outlook of solar tunnel dryer at Therhi area, Khairpur Mir’s, Sindh, Pakistan. This solar tunnel was made up of metal framework. The sides of the structure positioned in east to west angle (wind direction), having two exhaust fans in west side and two windows (covered with wire net) in east side to regulate the humidity and temperature inside the solar tunnel dryer. These two fans were automatically operating when the relative air moisture increased above 50% inside the solar dryer. The temperature and relative air humidity was measured by using a thermocouple. The side facing south and north was covered with a white plastic sheet. The ground within the solar tunnel dryer was covered with cement base. The electricity source to operate the fans was provided from a solar unit (700 watts). The tunnel consisted of 30 stands arranged in three longitudinal rows of 10 stands each. In each stand 7 shelves, i.e. trays. The whole frame was surrounded from outside with a short wall for protection (Abul-Soad 2016). The process of dehydration using this solar dryer is described.

descrIptIon of solAr dehydrAtIon process InsIde the solAr tunnel dryer:Artificial maturation is a delicate, time-consuming process, and very cultivar-specific. Taking into account also the non-stable conditions of the incoming dates from week to week and season to season, it stands to reason

Figure 13. Different types of date fruit (Chohara, unripe Aseel and Dhakki cvs. and chopped unripe date fruit) drying within the low tunnel solar dryer. Notice the empty half of the tunnel.

Figure 14. Side of the solar low-tunnel showing the black metal, arcs fixed with screw and legs of stone.

Figure 15. Three holes made for ventilation to exhaust the moist air from inside the solar low-tunnel.


that artificial maturation requires much practical experience by the date packer (Barreveld, 1993). The process of dehydration gone through the following steps (Abul-Soad 2016):

fruIt prepArAtIon Date fruit is preferred to be harvested at early Rutab stage compared to Khalal stage to avoid failure of fruit ripening. Early harvested fruit at Khalal stage could take more time to dry inside the solar dryer and some portion may fail to reach the desired fruit quality. The remark of the fruit at early Rutab stage is changing yellow (Aseel, Dhakki and Begum Jangi cvs.) or red color (Muzafati cv.) of the fruit tip into brown color.

Fruit skin of Aseel cv. is very delicate at Rutab stage. Fruit must be handled carefully during harvesting to avoid falling the most of early ripened fruit on the ground and crush. Ground under the shade of the date palm tree is covered with a plastic sheet to collect the harvested fruit bunch and fallen individual fruit during harvest process.

Conventional practice of date fruit harvesting is to cut and lay down the fruit bunches on the ground by aid of a rope. This practice is polluting the fruit with dust and reduces fruit quality. Conventional practice should be updated by the international better practices to use plastic sheets beneath the date palm tree to collect the harvested fruit bunch and fallen individual fruit during harvest process.

Harvested fruit should be collected in the plastic crates and transferred to the place of the solar tunnel dryer by small hand carts or by trucks to the far places.

Once date fruit reached the place of solar dryer, it should be sorted out to discard the crushed,

Figure 16. The progressive grower who installed this design in front of the fixed fan with speed controller in the solar low-tunnel.

Figure 17. Solar tunnel dryer with commercial capacity of one tone/3 days dried date fruit.

Figure 18. Conventional way to detach the unripe date-fruit from the bunches on a wooden comb.


deteriorated, mashed, infected, ruptured and shriveled fruit types before drying process. Sorting process includes dividing the fruit to three categories according to size into small, median and jumbo fruit size. It is worth to mentioning that jumbo fruit size is harvesting high prices in the market and supports the export window. Based on a preliminary study on date’s standards in the Pakistani date’s market done by Date Palm Res. Inst. (DPRI), SAL Univ., Khairpur, the category of Jumbo fruit, i.e. “A” grade consisted of 55-60 fruit/500 grams while “C” grade consisted of 75-115 fruit/500 grams package according to the general concept of fruit quality in Pakistan dates factories (Zangejo 2013). This is leading to the need to make standards for all other Pakistani date cultivars.

At “Pir” or “Bethak” where loaded trucks with dates are unloaded by labor, manual fruit detachment from the fruit stalks is performed before drying inside the solar dryer, curing under sun radiation on mats or making Chohara. Fruit detachment process is done by pulling the fruit punch over a wooden comb fixed in ground (Fig. 18). It used to be a headache process due to the long time consumed to perform this process and requires considerable number of labor. An alternative solution for such process would help date palm growers to save time and reduces the end product cost could be the use of a machine.

Loose fruit can’t be washed before drying in solar dryers under current practice. However, loaded fruit on the pored metal trays could be washed under running tap water for 1-2 minutes and then should be placed directly into the solar dryer at the highest tray in the stand (Fig. 19). It is prohibited to be loaded in the lower trays

Figure 19. Washing the fruit before loading the trays in the solar tunnel dryer.

Figure 20. A row of stands equipped with trays bearing date fruit inside the this model of solar dryer.

Figure 21. The inflated fruit epicarp, i.e. skin due to higher temperature at the upper portion of the solar dryer.


or to be left for sometime after washing due high sugar content of the date fruit which encourages the fermentation process.

fruIt hAndlIng InsIde the solAr tunnelNumber of fruit layers loaded on a try is important to maximize the overall production per cycle and to avoid inflated in upper trays or rotten fruit in lower trays (Fig. 20). The highest tray is exposed to much more heat than other lower

trays. Loading the highest tray with a single layer of fruit let the heat to inflate the fruit skin and then it could be exploded (Fig. 21). The swollen fruit skin separates from the beneath flesh and produces low fruit quality. However, this phenomenon was reduced when the highest tray was loaded with 3-4 fruit layers (Fig. 22). It seems that the accumulated ambient moisture of these layers reduced the negative impact of the heat on the fruit. Lower trays of a single fruit layer showed very few inflated fruit. Cold air is heavier than the

hot air which increases the time required for dehydration in the lower trays.

Different types of trays were tested. The trays were made from blind stainless steel materials caused burn for the skin. However, in the current design, trays made with bores to allow more aeration and avoid fruit burn (Fig. 23).

The quality of dried date fruit inside the solar dryer (Fig. 23) were similar to those cured on the mate in open areas (Fig. 24). As intimated before, the solar dryer usage reduces the time of curing from 5-7 days into 2.5 -3 days. In Egypt, ‘Sewi’ cv. trees are growing mainly in three governorates ‘New Valley’, ‘Giza’ and ‘Al-Fayoum’ where sun curing on mats is the common practice after fruit harvesting. But, the trees cultivated outside these regions on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road where the unripe fruit after harvesting need to be transferred to surrounding areas with higher temperatures for curing. Appling this type of solar tunnel dryer could therefore be useful for dehydration at same places and in shorter period of time. These environment friendly-ways would normally be applied in similar places where the adverse climatic

Figure 22. Upper trays loaded with 3-4 layers of fruit of Dhakki cv. after 3 days inside the solar dryer.

Figure 23. Sorted date fruit quality of “Dhakki” cv. after 3 days within the solar dryer.

Figure 24. Cured date fruit under sun radiation on mats after 5-7 days.


conditions, i.e. low temperature and monsoon rains are prevailed.

Not but not least, in this design, stands are lacking wheels for easy moving from and to the solar dryer to avoid opening the door for long time. Also, it recommended that fans must switch on or off automatically not manually. Third thing is to find a mean to circulate the air inside the solar dryer upside down not only to suck the air. This may increase the capacity of this design above 2.5 tones unripe date fruit/cycle in the future.

After dehydrAtIon processDrying fruit shouldn’t reach the full dryness less than 18% as it will lose some moisture content during handling and storage (Mari et al. 2016). Dried fruit should be loaded in plastic crates inside plastic sheets, but before that it should be kept for sometimes under shade in a protected place. Then packaged fruit should be transferred to the market or cold storage. Stored fruit in cold storage must be covered with plastic sheets to avoid further fruit moisture loss. It is a practice in Pakistan to use the vegetable oil for glazing (Fig. 25). Glazing the dried fruit with food oil changing the taste of the fruit little bit.

There have different materials been using for packing date fruit in Pakistan. One of these materials is the carton (Fig. 26) and wooden boxes. There also were other alternative materials commonly used for ripen dates packing such as the handmade baskets (Fig. 27). The pilgrim (seasonal laborers) are coming every year a month before harvesting season starts in June-July to work on date palm various activities. One of these is to make such type of baskets with different sizes for ripen dates packing. But, after processing of dried dates,

Figure 25. Glazed date fruit of ‘Aseel’ cv. with vegetable oil to keep fruit moisture and to appear shiny.

Figure 26. Packing dehydrated date fruit in Carton containers.

Figure 27. Handmade baskets for packing the ripen dates


cartoon or plastic boxes types were usually used (Fig. 28).

Coming to the end, whether dried date or Chohara will go to the market for occasions (Fig. 29). Using solar tunnel dryer with Arabian cultivars that spreading now in Pakistan will help to increase the cultivated area with such elite cultivars (Fgi. 30). Price of a single Kg of Ajwa, Anmber or Sukkari cultivars A grade fruit in retail market at Karachi ranged from 1800-2200 Pak Rupees this year.

The empirical references of other indicated that the lethal temperature to kill 100% of insect life is 2.5 hours at 54 °C and this time decreased to only 20 minutes, but at higher temperature 71°C (Azawi et al., 1983; 84). More or less, using the solar dryer in such a way to provide heat treatment at the level of 55-60 °C is considered as a partial pasteurization to destroy insect of all life stage, reducing the microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and molds, and decreasing enzyme activity during prolonged storage. It was reported also that keeping the dates moisture content in the suitable range below 24% is inhibiting the redevelop of the microorganisms (Barreveld, 1993).

Dates sector is one of growing industries in Pakistan and during the annual festival of dates (Fig. 30 and 31) fruits of different cultivars were presented along with seminars to increase the awareness of the Pakistani growers. The seminar gathering all the date palm beneficiaries to discuss the emerging problems and present the new technologies.

AcknowledgementThe author would like to express about his deep thanks to the Date Palm Research Institute, Shah Abdul Latif University, Sindh,

Figure 28. A plastic box of 500 grams of whole-dried date fruit.

Figure 29. Date fruit market in Pakistan.

Figure 30. Fruit of different cultivars during the proceedings of annual dates festival at “Khairpur”.


Pakistan especially Prof. Dr. Ghulam Sarwar Markhand (Director) and Mr. Riaz Hussain Mari for taking part during conducting the current study.

referencesAbul-Soad AA (2016) Development of dehydration protocol of unripe dates fruit in solar tunnel. Conference on Investment of Date Palm Sector (Reality and Prospects), 23-25 May, Muscat, Oman. Proceedings book.

Abul-Soad AA, Mahdi SM, Markhand GS (2015) Date Palm Status and Perspective in Pakistan. In Al-Khayri JM, Jain SM, Johnson DV (Eds) Date Palm Genetic Resources and Utilization. Volume 2: Asia and Europe Springer Netherlands 153-205

Abul-Soad AA, Jatoi MA and Markhand GS (2013) Performance of three Saudi Arabian Date Palm Varieties under the Agro-Climatic Conditions of Khairpur. Pak. J. Agri. Sci., 50(4), 571-576.

Almuhanna EA (2012) Utilization of a Solar Greenhouse as a Solar Dryer for Drying Dates under the Climatic Conditions of the Eastern

Province of Saudi Arabia Part I: Thermal Performance Analysis of a Solar Dryer. Journal of Agricultural Science. 4(3).

Azawi AF, El-Haidari HS, Aziz FM, Murad AK (1983) Effect of high temperatures on fig moth, Ephestia cautella, Walker (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae). Date Palm Journal, 2(1).

Azawi AF, El-Haidari HS, Aziz FM, Murad AK, Al-Saud HM (1984) The effect of high temperatures on the dried fruit beetle Carpophilus Hemipterus L, a pest of stored dates in Iraq. Date Palm Journal, 3 (1).

Barreveld WH (1993) Date palm products. FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin No. 101. Rome, Italy: FAO. 268p.

Basunia MA, Al-Handali HH, Al-Balushi MI, Rahman MS, Mahgoub O (2012) Development and performance evaluation of a solar tunnel date dryer in Oman. Agricultural and Marine Sciences, 17: 21-31.

Boubekri, A.G., H. Benmoussa and D. Mennouche. 2009. Solar Drying Kinetics of Date Palm Fruits Assuming a Step-Wise Air

Temperature Change. Journal Of Engineering Science And Technology, 4(3): 292 – 304.

Chouicha S, Boubekri A, Mennouche D, Bouguetaia H, Berrbeuh MH, Bouhafs S, Rezzoug H (2014) Valorization Study of Treated Deglet-Nour Dates by Solar Drying Using Three Different Solar Driers. Energy Procedia, 50: 907 – 916.

Mari RH, Abul-Soad AA, Markhand GS, Jatoi MA, Solangi N (2016) Comparative analysis of open sun and solar tunnel drying methods for date fruit. under publication

Markhand GS, Abul-Soad AA, Mirbahar AA, Kanhar NA (2010) Fruit characterization of Pakistani dates. Pak. J. Bot. 42(6): 3715-3722.

Marwat SK, Usman K, Khan EA, Ghulam S, Baloch J, Tauqeer AM, Rehman F (2012) Ethno botanical Studies on dwarf palm (Nannorhop sritchieana (Griff.) Aitchison) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan. J.P. Amer. Sci. 3: 1162-1168.

Mennouche D, Bouchekima B, Boubekri A, Boughali S, Bouguettaia H, Bechki D (2014) Valorization of rehydrated Deglet-Nour dates by an experimental investigation of solar drying processing method. Energy Conversion and Management, 84: 481–487

Zaid A (2002) Chapter IX: Date Harvesting, Packinghouse Management and Marketing Aspects. Date palm cultivation. Rome : United Nations FAO Plant Production and Protection. 156. Rev. 1.

Zangejo KM (2013) Setting Standards for Dates in Sindh. MPhill Thesis, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan.

Figure 31. Annual festival of date palm at Khairpur for promoting Pakistani dates.


Quantitative and qualitative inventory of Arthropods in Ziban oasis ecosystem(Ain Ben Noui, Biskra, Algeria).

AbstrActThe present study was carried out at the I.T.D.A.S. station (Ain Ben, Biskra), it consists on a contribution to the knowledge of the Ziban oasis arthropods. Our sampling was conducted since 1 June 2013 until 31 March 2014. During 10 months, every seven days, arthropods were collected using five methods: pitfall traps, yellow water traps, collecting net, light traps and direct hunting. The sample is composed of 2 647 individuals belonging to 18 orders, 69 families and 127 species. The results show a predominance of the Coleoptera order with 27especes followed by Hymenoptera order with 16 species, Hemiptera order with 15 species and Lepidoptera order with 13especes. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of species identified was done using the different ecological indices and data processing software R.

Key words: Ain Ben Noui, sampling, oasis, diversity, arthropod.

IntroductIonAdapted to the arid environmental conditions, different zoological groups inhabit the palm groves and have a varied spatial organization. Some move above the ground

deghiche-diab nassima1,2, deghiche Lahcen1 and

belhamra Mohammed1,21Agronomic Department, Faculty

of exact sciences and natural sciences and life, University of Mohammed Khaider, Biskra,

Algeria.

2Laboratory of Ecosystem Diver-sity and Dynamics of Agricultural

Production Systems

in Arid Zones, University of Mohammed Khaider, Biskra,

Algeria

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

others occupy the dominant plant species (date palm). The rest of the fauna is localized on plant species that occupy the space between the palms.

Under the effect of the increasing use of pesticides, in recent decades, there has been an alarming decline of biodiversity [1] (insects, birds, wild plants). Knowledge of arthropods, their compositions, their structures and their current status are the key point for the development of a database. According to [2], morphological and physiological adaptations in different environments give them a privileged place for the study of various ecological issues. The main objective of this study is to establish a more comprehensive inventory as possible (updated list) of arthropods at the Ain Ben Noui palm grove.

MAterIALs And Methods2.1. Location of the study area

At the South east of Algeria, Biskra region (34, 48 N and 5, 44 E) is limited by the province of Batna in the north, to the North-West of the province of M’Sila, to the North east of the province of Khenchela, to the south by the province of El Oued


Fig1: Satellite image of the experimental station of ITDAS Biskra. [4]

Fig 2: Methods used for sampling arthropods

and Ouargla and to the Southwest of the province of Djelfa [Fig.1]. The study region, palm grove Ain Ben Noui (34° 48 ‘21.68’ ‘N and 05 ° 39’24.72’ ‘E, 114 m a.s.l), is a part of the experimental station of the Technical Institute for Saharan Agriculture Development (ITDAS). It is located in the municipality of El Hadjeb at 8 km west of the capital of Biskra province, on National Highway No. 46 connecting Biskra in Tolga [Fig.1]. It covers an area of 21.5 hectares [3].

2.2 sampling methods of arthropods

Arthropod was sampled using five methods; pitfall traps [Fig.2a], light traps [Fig.2b], yellow colored traps [Fig.2c], sweep net [Fig.2d] and hunting sight [Fig.2e]. The applied experimental device consists in total of 36 traps, 8 colored traps and tow light traps, installed in each cultivated plot. Trapped insects are collected four times a month

from June 2013 until March 2014.The content is retrieved using a mesh; the separation of specimens is carried out in the laboratory using a binocular magnifier. Sample identification is performed to genus and species for the majority of families [5,6,7,8,9]. The identified insects were stored in

collection boxes and kept in the entomology laboratory.

The treatments of result were done using ecological indices of composition; the total wealth (S) [10], the average wealth (Sm) [11], the relative abundance (RA) [12], the density and consistency of species [13]. And those of structure;

A B

C

D

E


Fig3: The average richness of the orders listed in the palm grove of Ain Ben Noui.

Relative Abundance

the Shannon diversity index [14], and equitability [15]. The statistical analyze was performed using Analysis Principal Components (PCA) of the R software.

resuLts And dIscussIonThe inventory carried out according to the sampling device allowed us to identify 127 species belonging to 4 classes; 113 species in Insecta class, 12 species in Arachnida class and one species for each class Chilopoda and Malacostraca [Table.1].

The insect class is the most dominant both in number of species (113 species) and in terms of abundance. The entomological species identified are divided into 18 orders including Coleoptera with 27 species covering 10 different families. Hemiptera and Hymenoptera come in second place with 26 and 16 species. Lepidoptera and Diptera are shown respectively with 13 and 12

species followed by Orthoptera with 11species. Other orders are poorly marked (4 species for each).

In another study, [16] described 67 species especially from insect class. In a subsequent work [17], we reported 117 species in five palm grove in Biskra region for a period of six months of collect. However, the total species richness of the palm groves in the Ouargla region was studied by [18]where she reported, 142 species of insects. Furthermore, in the Batna region [19], recorded 198 species of insects during 10 months of follow-up using different types of traps.

3.1. treatment of results by ecological indices

3.1.1.the average richness

With low sampling quality value (0,25) that indicate a good quality of ours sampling [20], the average richness is equal to 28.38. The lowest value is marked in December

in winter. The greatest richness is marked in March with 8.46 followed by June and February, with 3.41 and 3.38 respectively [Fig.3]. This seems to be due to the improvement of the temperature and quality of the vegetation of the palm favorable to the activity of arthropods that provides food and shelter to species [13]. According to [21] insects cannot maintain their metabolic activities only within a limited range of body temperatures; they can escape the adverse thermal conditions by moving to stations with meso-climates or special microclimates.

3.1.2. relative Abundance

The different types of trap used in the palm captured 2 647 individuals of arthropods divided into 4 classes. The Insecta class with 2 520 individuals (95.2%) is the most dominant, followed by the Arachnida class, with 129 individuals and the Chilopoda class and Malacostraca class with only one individual (0.4 %). According to the orders, the Hemiptera is the most abundant order with 50.62%, in the second position Coleoptera and Diptera with 11%, the Hymenoptera order with 9% [Fig.4]. The important presence of orders in ours traps may be related to the flowering plants in a plot that promotes the maintenance and propagation of several species [22].

3.1.4. density and consistency

The results of ecological indices indicate that 5 species are constants whose constancy is between (54.05% and 72.97%). 12 are sporadic species their constancy is between 2.7% and 8.11% and bycatch species are the number of 30 species. Furthermore, it is noted that more than half of the species (80 species) trapped in the palm grove are accidental. The presence of a


Fig4: Relative abundances of the orders listed in the palm of Ain Ben Noui

Fig 5: Representation of the variables on the first factorial plane

large number of accidental species may be explained by the short lifecycle of species that can be achieved between statement and another. The crop diversity applied in each plot, following a livestock feeding schedule, promotes the installation of deferent species.

3.1.5. diversity index of shannon-Weaver

The value of the diversity index of Shannon-Weaver (Table 1) for species trapped in the palm grove amounts to 6.08 bits. This high value indicates that the species caught are diversified and an equality of individual contributions to plant cover [23].

Table 2: Values of the Shannon diversity index (H ‘) and uniformity (E) applied to species captured at the palm of Ain Ben Noui.

Parameters Values

)H’ )bits 6,08

)H’max )bits 6,99

E 0,87

3.2. the method Analyses Principal components (PcA)

Representation of variables: (The correlation circle)

The results obtained from the statistical treatment by the method principal components (PCA) using the software R.

An inertial percentage on the horizontal axis 1 is 71.7% and 12.6% on the vertical axis 2 to the map 1; all variables occupy a relatively small area within the circle of correlations [Fig.5]. The maximum angle between two variables is less than 90 ° with the exception of the month of August, This suggests

that all variables are positively correlated with each other [24].

rePresentAtIon of IndIvIduALsThe purpose of this representation is to provide plane images of individuals approached the cloud space situated in R. The set of projections of all points of the cloud of individuals (species) on the first factorial axis comp1 called first factor [25].

The x-axis represents the general level of species and that of ordained represents their profile. Indeed, a species belonging to group 1 is characterized by strong presentation in all surveys ; this is the case, for example Myzus persicae (Sulzer, 1776), species Porcellio scaber (Latreille, 1804), Messor barbarus (Linné, 1767) [Fig.5]. In contrast, Species belonging to group 2 are species that have an average representation in all surveys; this is the case camponotus sp,cyclorrhaphe sp. A species belonging to the group 3 have low presentation in all surveys; case of all rare or accidental species.

concLusIonGiven the important of arthropods, an inventory was carried out in

Relative Abundance %

Less Variables


Class Order Family Species

Insecta Coléoptera Buprestidae Anthaxia nitidula )Linnaeus, 1758)

Agrilus scythicus

Curculionidae Larinus-jacae

Onthophagus taurus )Schreber 1759)

Larinus sp

Liophloeus tessulatus )Müller, 1776)

Tenebrionidae Pimelia payraudi )Latreille, 1829)

Aphodiidae Ophodius sp

Cetoniidae Tripinota )epicometis) hirta )Poda, 1761)

Oxythyrea pantherina )Gorchy and Percheron, 1833)

Hoplia argentea )Poda-1761)

Melolonthidae Amphimallon solsticialis )Linnaeus, 1758)

Brachyceridae Brachycerus undatus )Fabricius, 1798)

Carabidae

Lophyra flexuosa )Fabricius, 1787)

Carabus sp.

Sphodrus leucophtalmus )Linnaeus, 1758)

Brachinus explodens )Duftschmid 1812)

Harpalus rufipes )De Geer, 1774)

Bembidion sp

Carabus glabratus )Paykull, 1790)

Carabus sp

Anthia sexmaculata )Fabricius, 1787)

Cicindélidae. Cicindela campestris )Linnaeus, 1758)

CoccinellidaeCoccinella septempunctata )Linnaeus, 1758)

pharoscymus ovoideus

Cybocephaluspalmarum )Peyerimhoff , 1931)

pharoscymnus numidicus

Lepidoptera Nymphalidae Danaus chrysippus )Linnaeus, 1758)

Crambidae Evergestis isatidalis )Duponchel 1833)

Pyralidae Ectomyelois ceratoniae )Zeller, 1839)

Geometridae Camptogramma sp

Table 1. Total collected species collected In Ain Ben Noui Palm grove.



Pterophoridae Amblyptilia acanthadactyla )Hübner, 1813)

Emmelina monodactyla )Linnaeus, 1758)

Pieridae Pieris rapae )Linnaeus 1758)

Sphingidae Hippotion celerio )Linnaeus, 1758)

Hyles euphorbiae )Linnaeus, 1758)

Coliadinae Colias crocea )Fourcroy, 1785)

Lycaenidae Aricia-agestis )Schiffermüller,1775)

Noctuidae Amphipyra sp

Gelechiidae Tuta absoluta )Meyrick, 1917).

Diptera Drosophilidae Drosophila sp

cyclorrhaphe sp

Sarcophagidae sarcophaga sp

Muscidae Musca domestica )Linnaeus, 1758)

Calliphoridae lucilia sp

Tephritidae Ceratitis capitata )Wiedemann, 1824)

Bactrocera oleae )Gmelin, 1788)

Culicidae Culiseta longiareolata )Macquart, 1838)

Uranautenia uranautaenea )Peyton )1972)

Culiseta subochrea )Edwards, 1921)

Psychodidae Pericoma sp

Tpulidae Tipula sp. )Linnaeus, 1758)

Hymenoptera

Formicidae Cataglyphis bicolor

Tetramorium biskrensis kahenae )Menozzi, 1934)

Messor barbarus

Pheidole Pallidula

Camponotus forelli

Camponotus aethiops )Latreille, 1798)

camponotus sp

Vespoidae polistes-gallicus )linnaeus,1767)

Aphidae Xylocopa Pubescens )Spinola, 1838)

Ichneumonidae Ichneunom suspiciosus Wesmael

Apechthis compunctor )Linnaeus, 1758)

Ophion luteus Linné



Cryptus albitarsis

Mutillidae Blakeius chiesi ibericus )Suárez, 1958)

Pyrrochoridae pyrrhocoris aegyptius

Lygaeus militaris )Fabricius, )1775).

Homoptera

AphididaeRhopalosiphum padi )Linnaeus, 1758)

Aphis craccivora )Koch, 1854)

Aphis nerii )Fonscolombe, 1841)

Aphis gossypii )Glover, 1877)

Rhopalosiphum padi )Linnaeus, 1758)

Myzus persicae )Sulzer, 1776)

Aphis fabae )Scopoli, 1763)

Brevicoryne brassicae )Linnaeus, 1758)

Dictyopharidae Dictyophara europaea )Linné, 1767)

Diaspididae Parlatoria blanchardi )Targ, 1868)

Hemiptera

Pentatomidae Codophila varia )Fabricius, 1787)

Nezara viridula )Linnaeus, 1758)

Perillus Bioculatus )Fabricius, 1775)

Acrosternum heegeri )Fieber, 1861)

Dolycoris baccarum )Linnaeus, 1758)

Eurydema ornata )Linnaeus, 1758)

Ancyrosoma leucogrammes )Gmelin, 1790)

Pentatoma rufipes )Linnaeus, 1758)

Carpocorpuris purpureipennis )DeGerr 1773)

Miridae Stenotus binotatus ) Fabricius 1794)

Lygaeividae Oxycarenus lavaterae )fabricius, 1787)

Cydnidae Sehirus luctuosus )Mulsant & Rey, 1866)

Stenocephalidae Dicranocephalus Albipes )Fabricius, 1781)

Cicadellidae

Orthoptera

Gryllotalpidae Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa )Linnaeus, 1758)

Pyrgomorphidae Pyrgomorpha agarena



Phasmidae ochrilidia gracilis

Acrididae Aiolopus thalassinus tamulus )Fabricius, 1798)

Locusta migratoria )Linnaeus, 1758)

Duroniella lucasi )Bolivar, 1881)

sphingonotus rubescens )walker, 1870)

Blattidae Periplaneta americana )Linnaeus, 1758)

Gryllidae Gryllusbimaculatus

Odonatoptera

LibellulidaeSympetrum sanguineum )Muller, 1764)

Sympetrum vulgatum )Linnaeus, 1758)

Coenagrionidae Coenagrion sp

Ischnura elegans )Vander Linden, 1820)

Thysanoptera

Phloeothripidae Liothrips oleae )Costa, 1857 )

Thrips sp

Dermaptera

ForficulidaeForficula auricularia )Linnaeus, 1758)

Zygentoma Lepismatidae Lepisma saccharina )Linnaeus, 1758)

Ephemeroptera

Baetidae Clpeon dipterum )Linnaeus, 1761)

Nevroptera

Chrysopidae Chrysoperla carnea )Stephens, 1836)

Mantis religiosa )Linnaeus, 1758)

Sphodromantis viridis ) Forskal,1775)

Hemiptera

Pentatomidae Codophila varia )Fabricius, 1787)

Nezara viridula )Linnaeus, 1758)



Perillus Bioculatus )Fabricius, 1775)

Acrosternum heegeri )Fieber, 1861)

Dolycoris baccarum )Linnaeus, 1758)

Eurydema ornata )Linnaeus, 1758)

Ancyrosoma leucogrammes )Gmelin, 1790)

Pentatoma rufipes )Linnaeus, 1758)

Carpocorpuris purpureipennis )DeGerr 1773)

Miridae Stenotus binotatus ) Fabricius 1794)

Lygaeividae Oxycarenus lavaterae )fabricius, 1787)

Cydnidae Sehirus luctuosus )Mulsant & Rey, 1866)

Stenocephalidae Dicranocephalus Albipes )Fabricius, 1781)

Cicadellidae

Arach

nida

Arneae Thomisidae Argiope trifasciata )Forsskål, 1775)

Salticidae Aelurillus sp.

Salticus sp.

Gnaphosidae Leptodrassus sp

Trachyzelotes sp

Haplodrassus moderatus )Kulczyński, 1897 )

Philodromidae Philodromus sp

Zodariidae Zodarion sp

Loxoscelidae Loxosceles sp.

Dysderidae Dysdera sp

Araneidae Argyope lobata )Pallas, 1772)

Solpugida Daesiidae Syndaesia sp

Chilopoda Scutigeromorpha Scutigeridae Centipede sp

Malacostraca Isopoda Porcellionidae Porcellio scaber )Latreille, 1804)

the Biskra region (Ain Ben Noui station),traps allowed us to identify 4 class of arthropods, the most important class is that of insects with 2520 individuals representing an abundance of 95,2% of the total collectted arthropods. The order

Hemiptera is best represented with

1 340 individuals of total sampled

arthropods. It is followed by the

order of Coleoptera with 285

individuals, Diptera with 279 and

Hymenoptera with 237 individuals.

This study allowed us to establish

an actualized list of entomological

biodiversity present in station.

This basic list may be a reference

for Complementary studies to be

carried out subsequently to study


the evolution of biodiversity in palm groves of Biskra region.

references1.Belhamra M. État des lieux, conservation et possibilité de valorisation des ressources biologiques dans le Sud et l’Est algérien. 14th Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting -Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources. University of Porto. Communication orale, 2014.

2. Dajoz R. Précis d’écologie. 7ème édition, Ed. Dunod, Paris, 2003, 615.

3. Diab N. Caractérisation des stades phénologiques du palmier dattier (Deglet Noor, Mech Degla et Ghars) dans l’oasis des Ziban (cas de la FDPS de Ain Ben Noui). In : Bilan des activités de l’ITDAS. 2004-2005. Biskra, 2005, 222.

4. www.Googleearth. 20 May 2014.

5. Chopard L. Orthopteroïdes de l’Afrique du Nord. La rose, Paris, 1943, 450.

6. Villiers A. Faune de l’empire Français V. Cérambycidés de l’Afrique du Nord. Office de la recherche scientifique coloniale. Paris. 1946, 155.

7. Chinery M. Collings guide insects of Britain and Northern Europe. 3rd ed. Harper Collins publishers, London. 1993, 365.

8. Saharaoui L, Gourreau JM. Les coccinelles d’Algérie: Inventaire préliminaire et régime alimentaire (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Bull. Soc. Entomo. France. 1998; 3 (103): 213-220.

9. Blackman R.L, Eastop V.F. Aphids on the World’s Crops-An identification and information guide. Ed. Ltd JWS and Natural History Museum, London, 2000, 466.

10. Ramade F. Eléments d’écologie. Ecologie fondamentale. Ed. Mc Graw-Hill, Paris, 1983, 397.

11. Blondel J. Biogéographie et écologie, Edit., Masson, France, 1979 ; (4701), 173 .

12. DajozR. Précis d’écologie. Ed. Dunod, Paris, 1971, 434.

13. Dajoz R. Précis d’écologie. Ed. Dunod, Paris, 1985, 505.

14. Blondel J, Ferry C, Frochot B. Avifaune et végétation. Essai d’analyse de la diversité. Alauda. 1973, 41 (63-84).

15. Blondel J. L’analyse des peuplements d’oiseaux, éléments d’un diagnostic écologique : la méthode des échantillonnages fréquentiels progressifs (E.F.P.). 1975, Terre et vie XXIX (533-58).

16. Hellal M. L’entomofaune de la palmeraie de Ain Ben Naoui (w. Biskra). Mémoire Ingérieur. Institut National d’ Agronomie. El Harrach. 1996, 67.

17. Deghiche - Diab N, Porcelli F, Belhamra M. Entomofauna of Ziban Oasis. Biskra, Algeria. Journal of Insect Sceince 2015,15(41), 7.

18. Ben Ameur-Saggou H. La faune des palmeraies de Ouargla: Interactions entre les principaux écosystèmes. Thèse Magister. Université Kasdi Merbah Ouargla. 2009, 184.

19. Bouguenna A. Diagnostic écologique, mise en valeur et conservation des pineraies de Pinus halepensis de la région de Djerma (Nord-est du parc national de Belezma, Batna). Thèse Magister universite el Hadj Lakhdar-Batna. 2011,175.

20. Ramade F. Eléments d’écologie. Ecologie fondamentale. 3èmEd. Dunod, Paris, 2003, 690.

21. Feiled P.G. Contrôle des insectes en post-récolte: basses

températures. In: Vincent Ch., Panneton B. et Fleurat-Lessard F. (Eds.), La lutte physique en phytoprotection. Ed.INRA, Paris, 2000, 95-110.

22. Bertolaccini I., Nunez–Pérez E., Tipazo E.J. Alternative plants hosts of legume aphids and predators in the province of Léon, Spain, Cien. Inv. Agr., 2011;38(2), 233-242.

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The Al Ain and Liwa oases: a cherished desert agricultural heritage

Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Coordinator

Dennis V. Johnson Editor

IntroDuctIonOasis is a geographic term coming down to English from Ancient Egyptian, originally meaning dwelling place; the modern Arabic equivalent is wahih. Historically, oases have played a key role in desert exploration and land travel, determining routes and serving as way stations for caravans.

A natural oasis is a desert water source, originating at a point where an underground aquifer discharges at the surface. Because rainfall in desert climate areas is erratic, oases are sustained only by underground water sources.

Since ancient times, oasis dwellers have developed water management practices, and introduced agricultural plants and domesticated animals, and significantly changed the character of the natural oasis. Over time there has been developed a tightly-integrated sustainable agroecosystems of plants and animals, mimicking nature, to provide food and

nonfood subsistence needs. In the process, the date palm, with its multipurpose utility, has become emblematic of the desert oases, especially in the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula.

The oasis agroecosystem was patiently developed and evolved over millennia into a very complex ecological, social, and economic infrastructure. It is a standard model for a spatially heterogeneous, three-story intercropping system of date palms, fruit trees and annual crops. The composition and configuration of the three-story system creates different profiles of horizontal wind speed, temperature and humidity. Date palms, other fruit trees, and annual crops intercept various proportions of daily net radiation. Although oasis agroecosystems cover a relatively small land area, they can support large numbers of people living at high population densities.

Long appreciated as microcosms of biological diversity and sociocultural heritage, oases were


among the world’s agricultural systems recognized by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) in 2002 as worth safeguarding and supporting. This led to the GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) Program, with a stated purpose to promote public understanding and awareness of this valuable legacy. To gain status as a GIAHS designated site, an action plan for dynamic conservation of the site must be approved by a scientific committee and FAO. Al Ain and Liwa officially were designated in 2015. This article is an edited abridgement of the UAE proposal submitted to FAO (Zaid and Al-Shara 2015).

Al Ain and Liwa

Oases such as Al Ain and Liwa are sites of ancient human habitation (Fig. 1).

The Al Ain area appears to have been permanently settled since the Neolithic period and archeological evidence suggests that the area was important at the beginning of the Islamic era. Until the late 1960s, Al Ain was an isolated date palm oasis with a small resident population controlled by semi-nomadic Bani Yas bedouin. The Bani Yas were the most important tribe occupying a group of oases in the area.

In Liwa, there is evidence that human occupation was discontinuous. The oasis was occupied during the Neolithic period, but abandoned in the Bronze Age, apparently because of a decrease of water availability. Liwa was reoccupied in the Late Islamic period by northward-migrating Manasir and the Bani Yas (Iddison 1998).

Practically the only vegetation in Liwa were the date palm gardens, which survived due to their deep root systems. The few wells of brackish water did not support subsidiary agriculture. In contrast the plantations of Al Ain have benefitted from continuous running water from several ancient falaj, underground water collection channels, which tap the ground water flowing from the adjacent Hajar Mountain range. This explains the attraction of the Al Ain date gardens. Not only was the date yield substantial but other crops could be grown in the partial shade of mature palms to provide fresh vegetables for the oasis dwellers as well as fodder for livestock (Hellyer 2012).

Dates have been a staple food of the Middle East for millennia. Cultivation of this palm has had an important influence on the history of the Emirates, and is exemplified by the two oases. Without dates, no large human population could have been supported in the desert regions. The caravan routes existed for centuries mainly for the transportation of dates.

Al Ain

In Al Ain, which means the spring in Arabic, water sustains all forms of life, from date palms to camels. Located some 160 km east of Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain has an area of 13,100 square km. It consists of seven oases covering a total area of 350 ha; Al Ain oasis is the largest.

Because of its iconic oases date groves, tree-lined avenues and numerous parks, Al Ain is often referred to as the garden city. It is the second largest city in Abu Dhabi with a population of 400,000. Al Ain is the birthplace of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first president of the UAE.Fig. 1. Map of UAE and location of Al Ain and Liwa oases.


Liwa

The Liwa oases consists of a series of valleys in Al Gharbia Municipal Region, located 230 km from Abu Dhabi City, on the edge of the Rub al Khali desert (Fig. 2). The name Liwa denotes the hollows or valleys formed between the dune ridges in the inland sand sea of western Abu Dhabi. These dunes may be wind-eroded down to the level of the hard pan of the desert platform, above which the largest dunes may tower some 125 m or more.

The oases extend from west to east, forming an arc, for about 70 km and lie approximately the same distance from the Arabian Gulf. Liwa forms the core of an economy based on date palm cultivation and livestock herding (essentially camels). The sparse rainfall that is stored in the dunes seeps out at the base and may be adequate for cultivating date palms (Wilkinson 2009).

Liwa oasis is considered by many to be the spiritual heart of the region. The Liwa population is projected to grow from 20,000 today to 65,000 by 2030. Decentralization in Abu Dhabi foresees the oasis becoming the Al Gharbia administrative center. At present,

73 % of Liwans are employed in agriculture. An important branch of the local economy is date farming with widespread use of drip irrigation and green houses.

Food and livelihood security

The theme of food and livelihood security is important in terms of the high cultural and dietary significance of dates as well as research on innovative uses of date palm products. Food security per se is not a major concern of the UAE but rather food self-sufficiency. The notion of livelihood and small-scale farming, as known from most

GIAHS sites, is not applicable in these oases, where date palm and other agricultural commodities are produced under harsh climatic conditions with severe limitations on arable land and water resources, and are highly subsidized by the government.

Oasis agriculture focused on the date palm is fundamental to Abu Dhabi cultural traditions. Emiratis recognize the importance of preserving date palm production systems as providers of ecosystem services, and a source of traditional knowledge, biodiversity and resilience. This associated heritage is being increasingly used to position Abu Dhabi as an international tourism destination.

Importance of dates in the uAE economy

The UAE is the seventh largest date producing country with 6 % of world date production; Al Ain and Liwa occupy the central role in national date production. The quality of date palm fruit and processed products is very high and the Al Ain and Liwa have earned an excellent reputation in national and international markets (Figs. 3-6).

Fig. 2. Aerial view of Liwa Oases.

Fig. 3. Date tree in full fruit.

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