Collection of valuable indigenous plant species of the Arabian Peninsula 1998-2004

Abstract

The Arabian Peninsula (AP). which comprises seven countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen - is characterized by low and erratic rainfall. high evaporation rates. and high temperatures. Soil and water salinity is also high. and can increase rapidly as a result of irrigation with brackish water. Over the centuries. these extreme conditions have applied rigorous selection pressures on plant species. resulting in a uniquely adapted plant biodiversity. This resource of precious genes can play an important role in agricultural research globally. However. the native plant biodiversity of the Peninsula is rapidly depleting. A large part of the total land area now suffers from some form of desertification. This is due primarily to overgrazing. Since the late 1960s, the region has experienced a sharp increase in animal production as a result of improved veterinary services and subsidies that enable the purchase of processed feed and baled hay. In 1998. an estimated 24 million head of livestock, mainly sheep. goats and camels. were reported in the region. Overgrazing reduces the productivity of ecosystems and changes the species relative abundance. Herbivores select and graze palatable species, leaving an ecosystem dominated by unpalatable and sometimes poisonous species. This phenomenon is seriously threatening the genetic resources and biodiversity of useful forage species. which were in the past, and could again be. the basis for sustainable animal production in the region. The main approach used by ICARDA's Arabian Peninsula Regional Program (APRP) to address the problem of degraded rangelands. shortage of feed for livestock, and limited water for irrigated forages, Iies in the utilization of adapted Indigenous forage species. Collection missions were carried out with the national programs of different countries in the Peninsula. This publication documents the genetic materials collected in the region from 1998 to 2004. and provides passport data for those collections. Some of the species collected are valuable as forage crops with high water-use efficiency. a feature that is extremely useful in dry areas.