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Analysis of the agricultural situation in Azraq Basin
German-Jordanian Programme “Management of Water Resources”
55
Water savings through adoption
of simple innovations
1. Use of tuff as mulch (thickness
5 cm, as a strip under stone fruit
trees) in a farm in North Badia, is
reported to allow water savings up
to 25% according to an experiment
that one farmer conducted on part
of his farm.
Use of tuff as mulch under stone
fruits and olive trees.
2. One farm in Azraq reported that
by preparing its own compost
from farm waste (weeds, branches
after pruning, cow manure) and
incorporating it 50 cm deep before
planting the trees, he could save up
to 45-50% of water as it attracts
the trees to develop deeper roots
that grow to deeper soil layers, and
soil retains more humidity.
Production of compost from
farm waste and incorporation of
compost to soil preparation 70 .
7.2. Projects to change the
cropping pattern: towards
more water-efficient crops
Water consumption versus possible
economic return for many tree
crops, field crops, and vegetable
crops have been studied: the
conclusion was that there needs to
be a policy shift to water thrifty
and salt tolerant crops in the
context of water scarcity, in order
to support a water saving policy 71 .
But based on our field interviews,
we saw that:
1. In Mafraq, there is a trend to
switch from vegetables to fruit
trees, not for water saving purposes,
but to save work and get better
profitability.
2. In Azraq, most farmers are
reluctant to switch to new crops
since olive trees are a long term
investment. They would not remove
their trees. They are not interested
in palm trees, and do not have
enough technical and market
knowledge about pomegranate to
switch to this crop.
Would farmers remove existing
trees if they are proposed an
interesting alternative for another
higher added value crop? Is the
change of cropping pattern a good
alternative? As it is commonly
agreed that the expansion of
farms should stop in order to limit
water abstraction, is it not risky to
propose income generating crops
for farmers who might be tempted
to increase their cultivated land
instead of replacing existing not
water effective crops?
In any case, planning, funding,
education, marketing, technical
know-how and the will to execute
any water conservation policy
need to be addressed in more
details before implementing any
conservation policy. If it is decided
to encourage farmers to change
their crops, these crops should be
selected according to economical
feasibility (detailed market study),
suitability to the local environment
(soil, water, climatic conditions)
and water conservation potential.
70 Also refer to 7.3.A – Compost Plant Project
71 A water for peace strategy for the Jordan River by shifting cropping patterns, Said A. Assaf, 2007