Analyzing the Spatial Correspondence between Different Date Fruit Cultivars and Farms’ Cultivated Areas, Case Study: Al-Ahsa Oasis, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Applied Sciences

Ahmed I. H. Ismail¹  Samah Daffalla²  Abdalhaleem A. Hassaballa²  Abdulrahman M. Almadini³ 

[1] Agri-Business and Consumer Sciences Department, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University (KFU), Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;Department of Environment & Agricultural Natural Resources, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University (KFU), Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;Soil Fertility and Environmental Management, Department of Environment & Agricultural Natural Resources, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University (KFU), Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;

关键词: date palm;    cultivars;    spatial distribution;    sustainability;    Al-Ahsa;    oasis;   

DOI  :  10.3390/app12115728

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Diversity in date palm (DP) cultivars plays a crucial role in the agroecosystems of several countries, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This study aims to map and analyze the spatial distribution of the most grown DP cultivars (Khlas, Ruziz, and Shishi) in the Al-Ahsa oasis in the KSA and to highlight their spatial correlation with the corresponding cultivated patches within farms. Descriptive and spatial data on 288 farms were analyzed using GIS, data curation, cross-TAB statistics, clustering maps, and spatial autocorrelation techniques. The obtained results revealed that most of the oasis’s DP farms are within a cultivated area of <500 m². The larger cultivated areas are mostly in the oasis’s northern and central subregions, agreeing with the spatial distribution of trees. In total, 56.9% of the studied farms grew the cultivars together within the least rank (<500 m²) of cultivated area, having the greatest tendency for DP cultivation. Khlas was the most dominant cultivar being the least absent from cultivation with 3.1% compared to Ruziz (31.9%) and Shishi (37.8%). The spatial distribution of DP plantations in the oasis was also consistent with the spatial variation in soils and irrigation water salinity, necessitating the need for special agricultural extension programs. In conclusion, these outcomes indicate that this study is essential for DP sustainability, growers, authorities, and policy makers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown