The barberry growers of South Khorasan are heartbroken
Barberry is one of the hardy shrubs that has the ability to grow and produce in low-yield areas with saline water, which pays more attention to it while increasing the production capacity of agricultural products and is effective in protecting the soil of the region.
Agriculture is one of the most important economic sectors of the country, which accounts for a large part of GDP, employment and annual value added. Although the production of various agricultural products creates this added value at the national level, but the existence of some special and unique products that are produced only in our country, has doubled the importance of this sector. One of the few products that has this feature is barberry, which is produced almost exclusively in the regions of South Khorasan. Barberry with low need for irrigation, has been able to adapt to the soil and saline conditions of this region.
Javad Ghancheh, director of the South Khorasan Agricultural Products Insurance Fund, said: The increase in temperature in July and the wind and hot weather have caused the early ripening of the barberry crop. Also, damages to horticultural crops in the province included cold, storms, floods, untimely rains at the time of inoculation, windstorms and hail.
He added: crops such as apricots, blue almonds, dry almonds, blue grapes, apples, plums, olives, pistachios, barberry, walnuts and pomegranates have been damaged in the 2016 crop year.
The director of the province’s agricultural products insurance fund reminded: the cold has caused damage to the tissue of newly grown flowers and browning and blackening, and then drying and falling flowers. Due to the cold, in the production of pistachio crop, the tissue of newly grown clusters of male and female flowers is damaged, which reduces the yield. The storm also breaks the branches and destroys the fruiting bodies formed on the branches and causes abnormal fall of flowers and fruits, and in any case will lead to a slight decline.
The director of the province’s agricultural products insurance fund stated: Pistachio orchards in Sarbisheh, Sarayan, Ferdows, Bashravieh, Tabas, Asadiyeh, Darmian, Ghaen, Arineshahr and Birjand have been damaged due to untimely rains in April of the 2016 crop year.
Ghoncheh emphasized: moistening the pollen grains and washing them reduces inoculation and reduces fertility and smallness and glorification of pistachio fruits, which is accompanied by the fall of flowers and uninoculated fruits, which reduces yield.
He stated: Following the wind and increase in temperature in July of the 2016 crop year and following a visit to the barberry orchards in Ghohestan, Asadiyeh, Darmian, Ghaen Arinshahr and Birjand, the wind and hot weather caused early ripening of the crop.
The director of the province’s agricultural products insurance fund stated: In some areas, barberry seeds have turned black and brown, which is due to the destruction and change of compounds in the pigments in barberry, especially anthocyanins. Also, in hot weather, respiration rate increases and photosynthesis decreases, which reduces performance.