Intensive irrigated agriculture in the Jordan valley. 2. Cultivation in the mountains and in the Eastern Desert depending on private groundwater exploitation.
Topics: Agriculture Water Resources
Forage Production in Jordan TWW Research Highlights
Agriculture: Employs about 122,000 workers
Heavily depend on irrigation: …consumes 70% of Jordan’s water …socioeconomic return of the agricultural use is lower than other sectors as industry. Two different kinds of agriculture can be identified: 1. Intensive irrigated agriculture in the Jordan valley. 2. Cultivation in the mountains and in the Eastern Desert depending on private groundwater exploitation.
Natural water resources: Renewable water estimated by 780 MCM/Year: Surface waters = 505 MCM/Year Deep water tables = 275 MCM/Year Non-renewable water tables estimated by 140 MCN…Dessah. Average recharge for underground water estimated as 275 MCM, while the double is bumped. The allowance of water per capita for all uses for Jordan in 2012 less than 140 m3, while it was 3600 m3 in 1964.
Present Situation and Future Outlook
Water Supply and Demand in Jordan MCM/yr 2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
Demand Supply
1297
1525
1564
1600
1615
817
1029
1150
1233
1296
Deficit
480
496
414
367
319
Forage Production in Jordan
Statistics: No clear statistics about forage production in Jordan and the majority depends on import…only 20% produced locally. Animals forages/feeds import includes: Cakes, concentrates, silage, straw, bran, sugar crops residues and others Year
Cost MJD
Total ThousanTon
2000 2012
42 148
256 350
………Alarming costs on animal raisers and consumers
Challenges: Sustainable forage supply in Jordan is crucial for livestock raising. Produce Forages in quantity with high nutritiion quality. This is attributed to many reasons including: -The limit of agriculture land -The limit in fresh water for growing the forages locally -Regional conflicts that restricting permanent forage import. -Poor knowledge on the proper long term conservation of forages to be used during the shortage period.
Among solutions…. The use on Non traditional water resources: 1. Saline 2. TWW 3. Grey 4. Industrial wastewater by product
Saline Water 67 saline water springs have been identified:
23 in the Jordan River Basin, 33 in the Dead Sea Basin, 8 in the Wadi Araba Basin, 1 in the Azraq Basin, 2 in the Al- Jafer basin. The total average discharge was estimated to be approximately 46 MCM/year.
Wastewater Reuse in Agriculture, Why? • Priority of fresh water for other higher-value uses (drink, industry, tourism).
• Saving groundwater resources in areas where over-pump is causing water depletion and salanization . • Increasing demand in agriculture for water due to increased irrigated area. • Typical wastewater effluent from domestic sources could supply all of the nitrogen and much of the phosphurus and potassium that are normally required for agricultural crop production (FAO 1992). • A high cost of chemical fertilizers.
Projected treated wastewater reuse in Jordan (MCM/Year) Year
In the Jordan Rift Valley
In Highlands
Total
1998
56
11
67
2005
65
41
106
2010
110
45
155
2015
123
74
197
2020
137
90
227
Irrigated areas by using reclaimed WW for restricted and unrestricted crops (2001). Crops type in du. (0.1 ha) Annual and forage
Forest
Orchards
Vegetables
Total Area in du.
Water Quan. MCM/y
Restricted within WWTP
1770
3187
1697
-
6654
7.5
Restricted Around WWTP
3554
500
6500
-
10554
11.5
Unrestricted After mix with KTD
6500
1000
25000
58500
91000
53
Total
11824
4687
33197
58500
108208
72
Source: Annual report 2001. Ministry of water and irrigation
The ongoing strategically plan adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture encourages the investment in forage production Many research projects conducted aiming to: -Define productive forages, -Training farmers on forage production. -Expanding cultivation to areas irrigated by non-traditional water resources as saline water and treated waste water. In response to the local need of forages to keep the healthy livestock production; Investment in the forage production by local companies and famers started in Jordan in big and small scale farming systems.
TWW Research Highlights
Major NCARE TWW Research Stations: Dair Alla (Jordan valley) Al-Ramtha (upper land). + farmers fields
Testing the use of TWW for green fodder production at Madaba Site (Rye Grass & Sudan Grass) Kheirallah and Jamjoum 1997-2002
Use of Reclaimed Water in Jordan Ghazawi et al, 2003
Field Crops Planted at JUST Demonstration Site
Note: At JUST, plant Production of barley and vetch was 25-28% greater in the crops irrigated with TWW compared with fresh water.
Testing the use of TWW for Wood production at Hashmeya Site: (Casuarina & Eucalyptus )
Testing the use of TWW for Volatile Oil production at Ramtha Site
Olive trees oil production using TWW Production and Quality of Roses and Carnations in Soil and Tuff Media Irrigated With Waste Water.
