Reasearh about the uses of ghaf tree
Answers
Explanation:
Ghaf (Prosopis cineraria), a flowering tree, holds great promise for combating desertification and improving soil fertility in arid environments thanks to its unique qualities, long-term research by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) suggests.
Considered the UAE’s national tree, Ghaf has multiple uses, including as a key element of agroforestry systems in arid and semi-arid regions. In agroforestry, trees are managed together with crops and livestock, which helps to increase social, economic and environmental benefits for farmers and other land users. Ghaf’s deep and broad root system means that it can grow in extremely harsh conditions and help fight desertification. What is more, its ability to fix nitrogen improves soil fertility naturally.
According to Dr. Muhammad Shahid, a geneticist and curator of ICBA’s gene bank: “The tree helps in the reclamation of areas lost to desertification. It is also highly salt-tolerant. So you can grow it in salt-affected soils, of which there are a lot in the UAE and other countries of the Middle East. We call them marginal soils.”
Ghaf can play an important role in the fight against desertification as it improves the soil, which, in turn, makes it possible to cultivate different food and fodder crops, including barley, cowpea, sorghum and pearl millet.