November 14, 2024

A staff member examines vegetables in a greenhouse at the Vidor Center experimental farm in Israel’s southern Arava desert region on Nov. 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Zhuolun)

by Xinhua writer Wang Zhuolun

JERUSALEM, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) — Driving through the Negev Desert in southern Israel is a more enjoyable experience than you might imagine because the sand-dominated hills and valleys are full of colorful surprises: camel grass, lush palm trees date and apricot , and cactus with vibrant fruit, which points to the dry land and shows the extraordinary strength of life.

The desert surrounds parts of the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest land based on elevation on Earth. The water in the hyper-saline lake is about 10 times saltier than the normal ocean, making it a harsh environment for all life and agricultural activities near the lake.

However, not far from the southernmost tip of the Dead Sea, a variety of everyday edible vegetables thrive in apparent opposition to such adverse conditions.

The photo shows vegetables in a green house at the Vidor Center’s experimental farm in Israel’s southern Arava desert region on Nov. 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Zhuolun)

In the greenhouses of an experimental farm called the Vidor Center where scientists are constantly conducting new agricultural research, brightly colored peppers, watermelons, berries, onions, eggplants, and tomatoes are full of life. , which shows how vegetables can be grown in dry land and land of high salinization.

The soil that nourishes the vegetables, which is about 50 to 60 cm deep, is transferred from another place, and with drip irrigation and fertigation – the application of fertilizers or nutrients to a system of farm through the irrigation network, the yield will be increased, said Naftali Lazarovich , a professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel who specializes in dryland agriculture.

According to Israeli media reports, drip irrigation irrigates 75 percent of the country’s crops, while only 5 percent of farms worldwide use the technology due to technological and financial barriers.

In order to save water and achieve digital management of precision farming, many sensors are applied to the soil, with all the data continuously uploaded to the cloud, Lazarovich told a group of international agricultural experts inside a greenhouse with an invitation to ripe green peppers.

“If the climate requires it, we need different irrigation, and this is one of the challenges here. We use ground sensors to estimate the water content in different locations, and in this way, it helps us to “Irrigation schedule wisely,” he said.

The photo shows the Dead Sea in Ein Bokek, Israel, on Nov. 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Zhuolun)

Through remote control with mobile phone and computer applications, farmers can constantly monitor crop growth and make timely adjustments, Lazarovich added.

Experts from different parts of the world for a conference with the theme “Dry Lands, Deserts and Desertification” held at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

The unique environment and ecological system around the Dead Sea provides many samples for agricultural research and attracts specialists from all over the world to exchange experiences and explore solutions to optimize production in agriculture.

Compared to the rarely seen colorful and lush greens, date palm trees, the common type that cannot withstand the heat of dry land, are more common near the Dead Sea. Surprisingly, researchers have found that dates grown in that area can be sweeter, juicier, and more aromatic than those in normal dry soils, said Oded Friedman, a horticultural expert. a palm tree in Israel.

The photo shows vegetables in a green house at the Vidor Center’s experimental farm in Israel’s southern Arava desert region on Nov. 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Zhuolun)

Of course, high-tech methods can still make a difference. A closer look at the date palm trees reveals that many of them are embedded in tubes parallel to the ground as if they are receiving “acupuncture treatment.”

According to Friedman, these are micro-sensors used for precise monitoring, each with two probes, one for heating and one for measuring the temperature difference.

“The saline soil makes the irrigation applied to date palm trees about twice the normal amount, and the use of nitrogen fertilizers about 50 percent less efficient. However, we are always on the road to results can be better,” Friedman said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *