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November 1992 UPDATE to the
ANNUAL TECHNICAL REPORT and
SEMI-ANNUAL TECHNICAL REPORT
July 1, 1992 - September 30, 1992
Moroccan Cooperative Agricultural Development Project
Grant Number HNE-0158-G-OO-2075-00
Submitted to the Bureau for the Near East
u.s. Agency for International Development
Submitted by the San Diego State University Foundation
San Diego, California 92182
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SEMI-ANNUAL TECHNICAL REPORT
July 1, 1992 - September 30, 1992
Moroccan Cooperative Agricultural Development Project
UPDATE November 30, 1992
Submitted to the
Bureau for the Near East United States Agency for International Development
Submitted by the
San Diego State University Foundation San Diego, California 92182
Please address all comments or inquiries to
Dr. Bonnie A. Stewart United States Project Director
San Diego State University Foundation San Diego, California 92182
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This Semi-Annual Technical and Quarterly Progress Report of the initial activities of the Moroccan Cooperative Agricultural Development Project was prepared by the San Diego State University Foundation utilizing input from participants in the Kingdom of Morocco, the State of Israel and the United States of America .
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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OVERVIEW 1
Morocco ................................ 1 Israel .................................................................. 2
SEMI-ANNUAL TECHNICAL REPORT - Update .... 3
Progress Report ............................ 4
Travel - November 1992 ................... 5 Participants ........................ 5 Field Trips ........................ 7
• Agadir ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 • Azemour .................... 8 • Marrakech ................... 8
Meetings 8
November 1992 ..................... 8 US AID ........................... 8 U.S. Embassy ...................... 8 Technical Committee .................. 9 MAP Project ....................... 10 Budget and Expenditure Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . 10 Economic and Marketing Study ............ 10
January 1993 ....................... 10
USAID and Azemour - Morocco .......... . Steering Committee - Israel
Travel Costs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
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ANNUAL REPORT - UPDATE ................ .
Work Plan Summary . 0 0 0 0 • • 0 • • • • • • • • • 0 • 0 • • • 0 0 0
Work Plan Detail for Morocco 0 0 0 • 0 0 0 0 0 • 0 0 0 0 0 • 0 0 • •
Work Plan Detail for Israel . 0 0 • 0 0 0 • • 0 0 • 0 • 0 0 0 0 0 • • 0
Implementation Schedule . 0 0 • • • 0 0 • • • • 0 • • • • • • • • • •
Budget Modifications .. 0 0 0 • • • • • • • • • 0 • • • 0 • • • • 0 0 •
List of Recommended Equipment and Machinery . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source and Origin List o. 0 0 0 0 0 • • 0 0 • • '0 • • 0 • 0 • • 0 0 0
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OVERVIEW
The Moroccan Cooperative Agricultural Development Project is funded by the Agency for International Development Bureau for the Near East. Initiated July 1, 1992, the Moroccan Project is being accomplished by participants from the Kingdom of Morocco, the State of Israel and the United States of America and is designed to meet a number of national development priorities set by the governments of Morocco and Israel.
The goal of the Moroccan Cooperative Agricultural Development Project is to increase the ability of Morocco's agriculture sector to meet internal demands for agribusiness products, and to strengthen the capabilities of both Morocco and Israel to export agribusiness products. The project constitutes a new stage in the Middle East Regional Cooperation Program, introducing a Middle East country other than Egypt as a cooperating partner with Israel and the United States. Accordingly, broadened regional cooperation will be a major objective. Technical objectives to be addressed for each country are listed below.
Morocco
1. Introduce the most up-to-date technologies for plant propagation as a means of improving vegetable yield and quality as well as reducing the cost of propagating hybrid vegetable cultivars;
2. initiate a sound pot-plant industry geared toward the export of rooted seedlings of foliage crops and a variety of finished pot-plants;
3. improve open-field production of early tomatoes through the introduction of high yielding, high quality cultivars;
4. expand existing agro-industries through the introduction of superior cultivars and new crops;
5. initiate open-field production of hardy ornamental plants for the local and export markets;
6. optimize open-field crop production through modern agro-management practices and irrigation technologies; and
7. extend intensive crop production technology through a trained cadre of specialists .
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• Israel
1. Develop high yielding, high quality cultivars of open-field salad tomatoes;
2. develop high yielding, high quality hybrid onion cultivars for the processing industry;
3. propagate, by tissue culture, selected cultivars of woody ornamentals for openfield production;
4. develop new hardy ornamental species for open-field production; and
5. undertake research that leads to the domestication and intensive production of truffles.
The Morocco project is strengthening and expanding cooperative efforts between Moroccan and Israeli participants with its new research topics which is bringing an infusion of new people and organizations into the regional cooperation programs.
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SEMI-ANNUAL TECHNICAL REPORT
NOVEMBER 1992 UPDATE
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PROGRESS REPORT
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SEMI-ANNUAL TECHNICAL REPORT - UPDATE
PROGRESS REPORT
Travel-November 1992
A trip to Morocco was made by members of the Technical Committee and other participating individuals from the U.S., Israel and Morocco. The purpose of the trip was to visit the project site in Azemour, visit farms in Agadir, Azemour and Marrakech, and to visit with scientists and staff of participating organizations such as the Hassan II Institute of Agriculture and Veterinary Science.
In addition to the site visits, meetings were held at the U.S. Embassy and USAID Mission in Rabat to discuss project activities and introduce project personnel to Mission staff and to the U.S. Ambassador and to meet with other project staff to discuss possible collaborative activities. Details of these meetings are discussed in the following section.
See Travel Costs section for details on the costs, dates, names, origins and destinations for this travel.
Participants
Morocco Mr. Driss Lahlou Moroccan Project Coordinator
Mr. Allal Chibane* Directorate for Plant Protection Ministry of Agriculture
Dr. M. Nadir* Department Head, Agriculture Engineering Ministry of Agriculture
Dr. Hammoutou EI-Mekki* Directorate of Plant Production Ministry of Agriculture
*Technical Committee Member
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Israel
Mr. Hassan Alami President Manay Moroc
Mr. Mimoun Mokhtari Institute Agronomique and Veterinaire Hassan II
Dr. Samuel Pohoryles Israeli Project Coordinator
Dr. Dov Pastemak* Chair, Technical Committee Head, Institute for Agriculture & Applied Biology Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Mr. Itzhak Peretz Assistant Project Coordinator
Dr. Josef Elkana* Extension Services Specialist Ministry of Agriculture
Dr. Irit Rylski* Research Scientist for Vegetable Crops Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Mr. Elizer Spigel * Extension Services Specialist Ministry of Agriculture
Mr. Itzhak Ayalon Technical Advisor
Mr. Uri Drori Project Engineer
*Technical Committee Member
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United States Mrs. Frea Sladek Associate General Manager for Development San Diego State University Foundation
Dr. Bonnie Stewart U.S. Project Director
Dr. Michael Reid * Associate Dean for Extension Services University of California, Davis
Ms. Mary Gellner Administrative Services Coordinator San Diego State University Foundation
Mr. W. Timothy Hushen Director of Program Management San Diego State University Foundation
*Technical Committee Member
Field Trips
Agadir
The Technical Committee delegation met with Director and staff of the Agricultural Regional Development Office of the Souss Massa area in Agadir and the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine. They presented an overview of the agricultural activities in the region. The delegation visited the laboratories of the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science at Ait Mellou.
Regional Development and Hassan II Institute staff present included Mr. Mohammed Tazi, Director of the Agriculture Regional Development Office (ORMVA); Dr. Abderrahmane Hilali, Director of the Horticulture Section of the Hassan II Institute in Agadir; Mr. Mohamed Faqir, Agronomy Engineer (ORMV A); and Mr. Hassan Bellouch, Chief of the Bureau of Horticulture (ORMVA) .
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Meetings
The afternoon was spent visiting local farmers in the region of Souss Massa-Mr. Kabbage Mohammed and Mr. Meziani Omar. Crops seen included bananas and carnations. Also, irrigation systems and infrastructure were viewed.
Azemour
A visit to the project site at Oujda de Chtoukas Azemour was made. Project start up activities were discussed and the design for the plant propagation center reviewed. Visits to covered farming operations in the region were made.
Marrakech
A rose nursery near Marrakech was visited. Covered structures and irrigation systems were viewed as well as the packaging and storage facilities.
USAID - Rabat Meeting
The following members of the project delegation met with USAID officials in Rabat: Mr. Hassan Alami, Ms. Frea Sladek, Dr. Bonnie Stewart, Mr. W. Timothy Hushen, Dr. Dov Pasternak, Mr. Itzhak Peretz and Mr. Itzhak Ayalon. USAID officials included Mr. Charles Uphaus, Agriculture Officer; and Dr. Jim Lowenthal, Deputy Mission Director. Project activities to date were reviewed.
Dr. Stewart had a follow-up meeting with Mr. Uphaus and Mr. Martin V. Degata, the new USAID Mission Director, after the Technical Committee meeting ended in order to discuss the outcome of the meetings and the problems related to procuring agricultural equipment for the project on a duty free basis.
U.S. Embassy-Rabat
Following the meetings at USAID in Rabat, the delegation met with Ambassador Vreeland. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce project members to the Ambassador and to discuss project accomplishments to date .
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Technical Committee Meeting
The Technical Committee Meeting commenced on November 6. Opening remarks were given by Ms. Frea Sladek, Mr. Driss Lahlou and Professor Sam Pohoryles. Dr. Dov Pasternak then reviewed the Scope of Work for the project (see Overview section). Mr. Itzhak Ayalon reviewed the outcome of the technical visit made in September by himself and Mr. Uri Drori and Mr. Itzhak Peretz. Then the technical members of the delegation broke up into three groups in order to prepare an implementation schedule for the next eighteen months. Details of these meetings are presented in the ANNUAL REPORT that follows (see Work
. Plan and Implementation Schedule). Groups consisted of the following persons:
Vegetable Crops Mr. AlIal Chibane Mr. Itzhak Ayalon Dr. Irit Rylski
Ornamentals and Tissue Culture Propagation Dr. Michael Reid Mr. Elizer Spigel Mr. Uri Drori Dr. Hammoutou El-Mekki
Extension Dr. Josef Elkanna Dr. M. Nadir
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Moroccan Agri-husiness Promotion Project (MAP) Meeting
Mr. Donald S. Humpal, Project Director for MAP, met with the Technical Committee members and delegation to discuss areas of possible collaboration between the two projects. Mr. Humpal was very cooperative and helpfu1.Another meeting was held with Mr. Bryan Cordray, Procurement Specialist for the MAP project. Issues related to importing equipment were discussed.
Budget and Expenditure Guidelines Meetings
Meetings were held on November 8 and 9 with our Moroccan partners, Mr. Hassan Alami, Mr. Driss Lahlou, Mrs. Wafaa Benfares and Mr. Mohamed Bafrij and SDSUF staff, Dr. Bonnie Stewart and Mr. Tim Hushen, to review USAID financial reporting guidelines and requirements. Specific forms were provided to them for their use and reference.
Economic and Marketing Study Meeting
Meetings were held with Dr. Sam Pohoryles to review the scope of work of the economic and marketing study for the Moroccan Cooperative Agricultural Development Project. This component will seek to demonstrate that satisfactory markets exist for the products being studied under the project. The study will include an evaluation of the costs of the different products developed in the project at the OCA site; yields and prices in the local and export markets; and returns to farmers and to investment capital.
Steering Committee Meeting-January 1993
Plans were made for the next Steering Committee Meeting to be held in Israel on January 17-19, 1993.
USAID and Azemour-January 1993
Prior to the meeting on January 14-15, the following persons will travel to Morocco to visit the project site in Azemour and to visit the USAID Mission in Rabat: Mr. Harry Albers, General Manager-SDSUF; Dr. Albert Johnson, Professor Emeritus, SDSU; Dr. Ron Hopkins, Vice President for Academic Affairs-SDSU; Ms. Frea Sladek, Associate General Manager-SDSUF; Ms. Davene Gibson, Administrator-SDSUF; Dr. Bonnie Stewart, U.S. Project Director-SDSUF; and Mr. W. Timothy Hushen, Director, Program Management. The purpose of the meetings is to visit the project site to view the progress and to meet with USAID officials to discuss planned activities.
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TRAVEL COSTS
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TRAVEL COSTS MOROCCO TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 1992 - CALABLANCA, MOROCCO
ACCOUNT NUMBER DATE EXPENSE
AIR TICKET TRA VEL COSTS
523524/6805 11192 Yarkon Tours 8 Israeli Participants Tel Aviv/Casablanca
523520/6803 11192 Dr. Bonnie Stewart 523523/6805 11192 Dr. Michael Reid
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
523524/6805 11192 Israeli Participants 523524/6805 11192 Misc.lbusiness calls/meals
523523/6805 11192 U.S. Participant (Dr. Reid) 523520/6803 11192 U.S. Management (Dr. Stewart)
TOTAL:
PER DIEM:
523524/6805 11192 8 Israeli Participants Dr. Dov Pasternak Dr. Sam Pohoryles Dr. Irit Rylski Dr. IosefEI-Kanna Dr. Elizer Spigel Dr. Itzhak Peretz Dr. Itzhak Ayalon Dr. Uri Drori
523523/6805 11192 Dr. Michael Reid 523520/6803 11/92 Dr. Bonnie Stewart, Director
TOTAL:
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AMOUNT
$ 9,888.00
1,110.10 1,196.00
$ 12,194.10
$ 4,324.29 322.09
283.31 1,010.00
$ 5,939.69
$ 374.26 231.00 280.00 280.00 280.00 280.00 280.00 280.00 208.09 299.00
$ 2,792.35
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ACCOUNT NUMBER DATE
TRAVEL COSTS-MOROCCO TECHNICAL MEETING NOVEMBER 1992 - CASABLANCA
EXPENSE AMOUNT
AIR TRAVEL TO AGADIR:
523524/6805 11192 8 Israeli Participants
523520/6803 11192 u.s. ManagementlDr. Stewart
TOTAL:
MISCELLANEOUS MEETING EXPENSE
523520/7097 11192 Misc. photocopy, film, books, Business Calls, Faxes, Telefax Photocopy Tea/Coffee Breaks
TOTAL:
GROUND TRANSPORTATION:
$ 808.48
10l.06
$ 909.54
$ 936.77
523524/6805 11/92 Vans $ 95l.82 Visitation to Azemor &Rabat
523524/6805 11/92 Taxi 352.53 Field trip to Nurseries
523524/6805 11192 Misc. Taxi 115.36
$ 1,419.71
TOTAL TECHNICAL COMMITTEE EXPENSE: $ 24,192.16
CODE/SUB-CODE BREAKDOWN Israei Participants Technical Committe U.S. Management Other Operating Expense
523524/6805 523523/6805 523520/6803 523520/7097
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$ 19,047.83 1,687.40 2,520.16
936.77 $ 24,192.16
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ANNUAL REPORT
NOVEMBER 1992 UPDATE
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ANNUAL REPORT-UPDATE
WORK PLAN SUMMARY
The work plan commencing October 1, 1992 begins the implementation phase of the project. Activities will be carried on simultaneously in Morocco and in Israel. A descriptive summary of these activities follows:
Morocco
Speedling Nursery: A speedling nursery will be erected in phases, with an initial capacity of one to two million seedlings per year supplied to farms in the target region. The nursery will specialize in the production of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons and other crops to be identified. Construction of the nursery will begin in the first phase of project implementation.
Pot-plant Nursery: The pot-plant nursery will generate two types of products: rooted seedlings and finished pot-plants. It will include both a mother plantation and a production unit. Construction of the nursery also will begin during the first phase of project implementation.
Micro Propagation Laboratory: Micro propagation is also used in the pot-plant industry. The intention of this activity is to develop commercial micro propagation capability in Morocco.
Open-field Production: This activity will seek to introduce a range of species and cultivars of vegetables for the processing industry. Production will begin in phase one.
Training and Extension: Training of Moroccan extension workers from the Hassan II Institute and training of farmers and farm technicians will be done on the project site.
Training approaches will include on-the-job and short courses. In addition, extension workers will receive training for three to four months in Israel, participating in classes, tours and on-the-job training .
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Israel
Breeding of High Quality Table Tomatoes for Israel and Morocco: Studies on tomatoes are to be carried out at the Moroccan site and will be supplemented by the breeding of high quality tomato hybrids in Israel.
Physiological and Nutritional Studies of Onions: Research on plant physiology and nutritional requirements for recently developed onion hybrids will facilitate the improvement of management procedures. The work will commence in Israel.
Micro Propagation of Ornamental Eucalyptus: This work will be conducted at the tissue culture laboratory of the Ben Gurion University. Results of this research will be applicable to the open-field ornamental production activity in Morocco.
Development of Verticordiaas and Ornamental Plants: Knowledge gained from initial research will be transferred to Morocco for field testing during the later stages of the project.
Commercial Production of Truffles: This activity will seek to identify Moroccan scientists who would be interested in cooperating with Israeli research in this area, and to expand direct ties between involved research institutions in both countries.
Economic and Marketing Study: The economic study will include an evaluation of the costs of the different products developed in the project; yields and prices in the local and export markets; and returns to the farmers and to investment capital. This report will be revised and updated throughout the life of the project.
SDSUF was requested to review the A.LD. Policy Determination 15 (the Dale Bumpers Amendment), "Assistance to Support Agricultural Export Development", to determine if there was an issue regarding tomatoes. SDSUF has determined, in consultation with U.S.D.A., that this project "will have no significant impact upon competing U.S. exports", except for processed tomatoes. As noted by SDSUF in the grant, research on process tomatoes has been eliminated .
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WORK PLAN DETAIL FOR MOROCCO
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WORK PLAN DETAIL FOR MOROCCO
Technical committee members met in three subgroups: 1. ornamentals, 2. vegetable crops, and 3. extension. Each group produced detailed work plans for identified activities for the next eighteen months. The following is a summary of these plans.
1. Ornamentals Group Plan
The following recommendations were made by the Ornamentals Group:
In the Pot-Plant Nursery
Guiding principles:
• Import substitution
• Export market - propagules - rooted cuttings - finished plants
• Buy equipment and materials from the U.S., Israel or Morocco according to the attached List of Approved Equipment, Materials and Supplies.
• Cover the whole area, sell plants as they grow to provide spacing room.
Greenhouse:
The following specifications for Greenhouses were detailed: 1000 m2, reflective and moveable thermal screen (50%) for shading, mist for cooling, and gas-fired heating system (assuming gas supply is assured). Plastic pipes (16 mm) on the benches, heated with hot water, and separately controlled to allow differential heating (minimum 18 C for Dieffenbachia, 15 C for other foliage plants). External shade cloth (black 30 %) to reduce light if needed. Possibility of windbreak to protect greenhouse. Rolling benches North/South, covering 800 m2, allowing 700 m2 effective area, 200 m2 for propagation, 200 m2 for Ficus, 500 m2 for other crops. Roof and side vents (manual in first year) .
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Environmental monitoring system for acquisition of meteorological information on rain, wind, wind direction, pan evaporation, radiation inside and outside houses, temperature stations inside and outside the house, humidity (wet and dry bulb, regularly serviced).
Propagation system:
The following specifications were identified for the Propagation system: 200 m2, tented, use part initially for propagation, remainder for growing until needed for propagation, hot water pipes for bottom heat, 6 mm biotherm pipes, gas water heater, tented to maintain high humidity.
Medium:
Propagation medium, 35 % perlite, 65 % peat, steam sterilized if possible. Production medium, 20% perlite Oocally produced), 65% peat (imported), 15% coarse sand. Produced in the soil mixing plant (initially a concrete mixer), solar sterilized when and if needed. Propagation trays, 5 cm2 holes. Plastic pots (possibility of finishing in clay for export next year). 10 cm, 15 cm
Irrigation:
Water supply from well. Reverse osmosis/rain water used if needed in the propagation bench, or if E.C. too high. Overhead mist irrigation at high densities. Individual drip irrigation for large pots.
Fertilization:
Fertigation, but each table with separate valve to allow specific regimes for different crops. Adequate filtration important to prevent nozzle clogging. 100 ppm N, 35 ppm P, 120 ppm K, plus microelements (available locally), acidifies by injection (standard commercial injector ca. 12 lIhr, obtained from U.S. or Israel) to pH 6.0-6.5. Irrigation pump up to 5,000 l/hr, 45 psi. Must be a brand commonly used in Morocco to have ready available spare parts.
Crops:
Initially propagated from high quality materials obtained from the U.S. or Israel. Some plants from the first crop reserved to form a block of stock plants .
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Ficus benjamina (three varieties: golden king, exotica, starlight) 400 of each Propagate 800 of each cultivar-plant two rooted cuttings per pot, use IBA hormone (Rootone #2) 801m2 (3 months) 251m2 (3 months) 81m2 (5 months)
Dieffenbachia (tropic snow, compacta, white) 500 of each variety, 81m2 (tropic snow), 161m2 (compacta and white) Propagate 1500 of the compact varieties, plant 3 per pot.
Schefflera (Gold capella) 1000 plants Propagate 3000 plants, plant 3 per pot. Finish at 81m2
Syngonium (from meristems, variety Butterfly) 1000 plants One plant per pot. Finish at 161m2
Croton (Petra, Excellent) 500 of each Finish at 161m2
Scheduling:
Profitable operation of a commercial productIon facility for potted plants depends on market research and scheduling of production to meet anticipated demand. Since this project is a demonstration, the project schedule will be designed with input from the commercial participant, and plants will be delivered to him on schedule. They are not to remain in the greenhouse after the planned production date.
Control of diseases and pests:
The following recommendations were suggested:
• Initial plant material should be indexed free of known diseases and pests.
• Medium should be free of pathogens.
• Workers should be restricted to one of the project units, and only those workers should normally be permitted to enter the house.
• Entrance to the house to have a formalin-wetted sponge.
• If root rots become a problem, soil media may need to be steam sterilized .
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• Anticipated pesticides will be purchased (U. S. or Israel) and an appropriate motorized sprayer purchased locally. For the future a fogging cannon ($2,500) would be preferable.
Possible problems during project implementation were identified:
Slow delivery of equipment or materials. Loss of plant materials during transport or customs clearance. Problems with water supply (quantity and quality). Uncontrollable outbreaks of diseases or pests .
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2 . Vegetable Group Plan
The following recommendations were made by the Vegetable Group:
Nursery
All the vegetables will be produced in the Project Nursery. The emphasis will be on the production of high quality plants to ensure maximum productivity.
Indeterminate Tomatoes
• Indeterminate varieties will be planted indoors and outdoors
• Nematode resistant varieties are recommended
• Main emphasis on the export markets
Definition of varieties Suggested cultivars for testing are:
• Daniella FA-144
• At least 5 new cultivars to be compared with daniella -100 plants each, at least two replications. Suggested lines are the Israeli lines FA175, FA192, BR160, and FA185, and the Dutch line F-224. Of particular interest in evaluating these cultivars will be their relative cold tolerance.
Period of planting -117 - 10/9, both indoors and outdoors.
We recommend two high gutter (> 4m) greenhouses of the Arava type, 1000 m2 each.
Plastic coverings will be tested from two perspectives:
• Light transmission and suitability for tomato production
• Heat retention (greenhouse effect) and suitability for winter vegetable production
Two types of plastic will be tested:
Local UV A 220 micron Imported IR 100 micron
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Field production tests will be with the same indeterminate varieties as in the plastic houses, and including the present nematode-resistant Dutch cultivars F-236 and B-370.
The open field will be planted with 500 m2 of each indeterminate cultivar.
Determinate tomato cultivars
Determinate tomato cultivars will be tested for local and export market potential. The varieties to be tested will be selected on the basis of:
Nematode resistance, Blossom end rot resistance, Eating and post-harvest quality, and Cold tolerance.
Twenty selected cultivars will be planted on at least one hectare, and five of them will be selected for planting in demonstration plots.
Production technology
These are bush cultivars, and appropriate technology will be utilized. Plants will be put out in March and April. A low tunnel cover (0.25 micron thickness IR plastic) will be used until the weather permits its removal. The IR plastic will permit higher temperatures and more rapid growth in the early spring. The use of different mulches will be tested. 1500 m2 will be planted in clear mulch, brown mulch (to control weeds) and open soil (control).
Melon
Cultivars-Galia, Pancha, Alma, Polidor, Galia C-8, Arava, Ogen
Planting date
Seed will be direct sown (because of the short preparation time) January through March at a density of 20,000 plants per hectare-O.5 meter between plants, 2 meter between rows.
Construction
Structures used will include two walkthrough tunnels, and two hectares of low tunnels using 0.8 micron IR clear plastic both for mulch and for the cover.
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Pepper
Mr. Shiban Alal will collect data about cultivars grown in Morocco and Dr. Irit Rilski will prepare a detailed plan for the coming summer. Eventually, a two hectare area will be planted to pepper.
Artichokes
Two local cultivars and three Israeli cultivars will be introduced and planted in the first week of J ul y on a 2 hectare area.
Green Beans
Testing of green beans for local and export fresh market, and possibly for freezing. 5 cultivars - 2 local and 3 Israeli varieties will be planted February through March on a 3 hectare area.
Management
All protected vegetable plots will be sterilized. Protected and open fields will be separated with a fence. Constant monitoring of pests and diseases and early preventative treatments will hopefully reduce the use of pesticides. Fertilization and irrigation will be by fertigation through drip irrigation, based on readings of tensiometers. Irrigation will eventually be controlled by computer, which will schedule applications and assist in solution preparation and control. Flowers will be pollinated with an electric bee, and we will also examine the possible use of bumble bees and of a mechanical blower for this purpose .
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3 . Training, Demonstration and Extension
The following discussion and recommendations were made by the Training and Extension Group:
Introduction
The project is to become a center, a focal point for the introduction, trial, demonstration and diffusion of advanced technologies for intensive propagation and cultivation of a variety of crops and plants. It will therefore be imperative to ensure the continuous scientific and technical upgrading of all related to the project both from within and without.
Also, concerted efforts will have to be exerted in order to ensure the effectiveness of the demonstration and dissemination/extension activities.
It is unlikely that the project will be able to recruit and maintain all the staff that may be needed for effective training and extension. Thus, it may well be useful to consider incorporating people in these activities from other agencies, such as SASMA, Hassan II Institute, INRA, and the production and extension units of the regional offices of the MOA.
Indirectly, such involvement should contribute greatly to the spirit of cooperation and support needed for ensuring as broad an impact as possible.
Training
In Morocco
Most important is the "on-the-job" training. The technicians recruited to manage and to operate the project will be guided and instructed at every step by the project's resident consultant. Attention should be given to the teaching of skills by doing, since the technicians will then immediately need to pass on the skills to the other workers.
Once the project will begin production, it is envisaged that professionals from other agencies, and students, will be encouraged to use the project's various enterprises and facilities for "on-the-job" training and apprenticeship.
Growers may also be invited for learning specific new skills.
It is strongly recommended that from the start, visits from abroad of specialists in any of the related fields will be utilized also for training of the project staff as well as of others .
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Some facilities and equipment should be available at the project site from the start . These will be detailed further down.
As the project enters into full and ongoing operation, it is envisaged that training activities such as seminars, workshops and short courses will be conducted at the center.
Training Abroad
Ben Gurion University will offer the opportunity for two or three technicians to train in-situ in the laboratories in tissue culture techniques for a period ranging from 6 months to one year.
It is proposed that two or three technicians to be employed by the project will receive individual training in Israel in the specific areas which will be their responsibilities in the project. The training should be no longer than two months and the timing will be determined by the schedule of activities on the project.
At a later stage, a course could be organized in Israel in French for a group of 10-15 Moroccan technicians in the propagation and cultivation of off-season crops. The course will combine theory and practice, farm visits, and communication and extension techniques.
Demonstrations
As mentioned in the introduction, the demonstration effect on the project is central to its mission. By its very existence and success, it should have an impact on its surroundings. A careful plan should be elaborated for on-site study visits and tours. But beyond that, every client and even potential client can be looked upon as a site for carrying out a modest demonstration which will enable the growers to evaluate the new technologies on their own farm. There is much evidence that often where one large, well-advertised demonstration has failed, many small ones have succeeded. Farmers should be encouraged to try at first on a small scale one or several innovations, and only when convinced of their efficacy vis-a-vis their own, go on and expand. This first trial stage can serve as an excellent demonstrative tool.
The project will obviously demonstrate to researchers and growers alike the potential benefits of new growing techniques and plants. However, in addition, the project farm may also be used to demonstrate different structures, equipment and facilities. Contributions from manufacturers may be considered (after screening, of course).
Extension
A proactive extension dimension is needed in the project if it is to fulfill its mission . Some extension will be provided by the project staff. Plants that will be sold from
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the various project nurseries must be accompanied on the farms, and the growers instructed and guided in detail as to how to cultivate them to gain maximum benefit from them.
However, given that the technicians will have the responsibility of running the daily operations on the project site, it is feared that both the extension and the execution of responsibilities might suffer. One should seriously consider that once the project is fully operative, additional agents from outside agencies should be co-opted into providing advisory services to the "project's growers". This also fits in well with the philosophy we believe the project should adopt. The agents to be co-opted on a fullor part-time basis, together with the project's technicians, would form the "natural" target group for the short course training in Israel proposed above.
Publications
Ongoing newsletters and leaflets and ad-hoc bulletins would be an excellent and relatively inexpensive way of reaching relevant clientele quickly.
Calendar of Activities
The timing and staging of the various activities proposed above depend very heavily on the timing and rate of implementation of the physical and horticultural activities in the project.
Following are activities that should be planned within the next 12 months:
• Training of tissue culture technicians at Ben-Gurion University.
• Ongoing on-the-job skill training to be provided by the resident consultant and specialists visiting.
• Recruiting of possible candidates in Morocco and making initial preparations in Israel for the two-month short course.
• Equipping a meeting room for training and acquiring a minimal publication capability.
• Provision of extension and advisory accompaniment to the buyers of the first seedlings and plants. This will require that from quite an early stage of the project at least two vehicles will be made available to the technicians during several hours a day and/or several days a week. (An additional important role of the technicians while guiding the farmers using the project's produce will be to monitor and record their performance.)
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Facilities and Equipment
Following is a list of equipment which should be purchased within the first 12 months:
• Slide projector, overhead projector, video recorder and monitor.
• A room, could be temporary, that can seat up to 25 persons, equipped with black/white board and screen.
• Word processing capability, printer and copying machine.
• Part-time use of preferably two vehicles for extension activities.
Coordination
Planning, preparing for and carrying out training, demonstration and extension activities, even if on a relatively small scale at the start, require special attention. It is recommended that a person who will be closely involved with the project, but not in its day-to-day operation, be given the responsibility for coordinating these components, including serving as the liaison person with the organizers of training in Israel.
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WORK PLAN DETAIL FOR ISRAEL
• 29
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WORK PLAN DETAIL FOR ISRAEL
Written plans were prepared by Israeli scientists detailing work to be undertaken in Israel over the next eighteen months. The research activities include: 1. Breeding high quality table tomatoes; 2. research on onions; 3. micropropagation of ornamental eucalyptus; 4. development of verticordiaas and ornamental plants; and 5. commercial production of truffles. These plans are presented in the following section.
1. Tomatoes
Research Objectives
This project is aimed to develop determinate type FI hybrids to improved production and quality of fresh market tomatoes in Israel and Morocco.
The project is expected to result in higher yield, improved firmness and quality of the fruit (color, flavor) and improved pest resistance.
Background
The cultivated tomato is one of several important food crops to have benefited from remarkable improvements during the past 5 decades. Average fresh market tomato yields in Israel are 80 tons/ha and in Morocco 30 tons/ha (Chouker-Allah, 1989). Developments in crop culture and management coupled with improved varieties have undoubtedly been the major factors contributing to the dramatic and sustained improvements which have occurred during the past half century.
The principal aims for determinate type cultivars for open field production are yield concentration, proper fruit set and growth, good cover to overcome radiation damage, fruit quality according to market requirements, disease resistance, long shelf and taste life (Atherton & Rudich, 1986). Thanks to our past breeding efforts, cultivated and wild Lycopersicon breeding material is available in our department to custom breed open field F I hybrid cultivars suitable for cultivation under a variety of environmental conditions.
Specific Breeding Goals
The goals in this project are to produce tomato varieties (FI determinate hybrids varieties) adapted to open field cultivation with high concentrated yield and suitable fruit quality, based on the following characteristics:
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• Fl hybrids
The production of Fl hybrids is benefited by the gain of heterotic advantages and greater ease of combining desired characteristics and use of male sterility to reduce hybrid see costs (Lapushner & Frankel, 1967).
• Plant architecture
Plant architecture has a significant role in the development of early, highly determinate cultivars with concentrated fruit set and growth and good cover to overcome radiation damage. A proper plant habit for open field growth will be achieved by introgression of genes for plant architecture including recessive genes like brachytic (br) and dwarf (Q) to our present parent lines._
• Pest resistance
Introgression of genetic resistance in our present parental lines to important pathogens such as race 2 of Fusarium wilt, bacterial speck, Fusarium crown and root rot and root knot nematodes which are found in Morocco and Israel (Waterson, 1985).
• Fruit firmness and shelf life
The nonripening mutants rin and nor are available in our department. These genes inhibit tomato fruits ripening, climateric rise respiratory and ethylene production (Tigchelaar, Mcglasson, and Buescher, 1978).
The Fl hybrids formed by crossing a normal line with a nonripening line produce fruit that ripen slowly, lose firmness at lower rate, have an extended shelf life and therefore improve tomato quality.
• Fruit quality
Tomato fruit quality hinges on a number of important components: soluble solids, acidity and flavor compounds. The role of the sugar/acid ratio and soluble solids content is a major determinant of fruit quality for both processing and fresh market tomatoes (Stevens, 1986). However, standard tomato cultivars generally yield in the range of 5-7% solids. We found that there is a promise in utilizing high yielding small fruited line of the cherry-cocktail size to increase high solids yield per unit area in Fl hybrids (Chouker-Allah, 1989), and we introgressed this trait to our parental lines to increase fruit quality .
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Plan of Work (first year)
• Various genetic material including commercial cultivars from different sources and experimental FI hybrids from our breeding work will be tested in the main production areas of Morocco and Israel.
• Introgression of desirable traits improved TSS, male sterility, plant habit and pest resistance, into parental lines to obtain seeds of the BcIF l generation.
• Selection for desirable traits will be performed in the BcIF2 generation.
References
Atherton, S.G., and Rudich, J. (1986) The tomato crop. Chapman and Hall, New York.
Chouker-Allah, R. (1989) Economic and agronomic situation of processing tomatoes in the Maghreb countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia). 3rd ISHS international symposium on the processing tomato. A vignon, France.
Lapushner, D., Bar, M., Gilboa, N. and Frankel, R. (1990) Positive heterotic effects for "BRIX" in high solid FI hybrid cherry tomato. Acta Hort. 277:207-209.
Lapushner, D. and Frankel, R. (1967) Practical aspects and the use of male sterility in the production of hybrid tomato seed. Euphytican 16:300-310.
Stevens, A.H. (1986) Inheritance of tomato fruit quality components. PI. Breed. Rev. 4:273-311.
Tigchelaar, E.C., Mcglasson, W.B. and Buescher, R.W. (1978) Genetic regulation of tomato ripening. HortScience 13:508-513.
Waterson, J.C. (1985) Tomato diseases: A practical guide for seedsmen, growers and agricultural advisors. 47 pp. Peto Seed Co. Inc., Saticoy, CA, USA .
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2 . Onions
Research Objectives
The project goal is aimed at achieving an integrated system for improved onion production of quality, long-keeping bulbs in Morocco and Israel. This is expected to be achieved through a combination of genetic, agrotechnical and extension means. The program is based on short- and medium-term goals, as follows:
Short-range program
• Varietal evaluation: Systematic testing of all relevant genetic material (open pollinated cvs. and FI hybrids) available from commercial and breeding sources. If good enough, the best adapted introductions will be recommended for target growing areas, as an interim solution.
• Technical assistance to the growers introducing the new cvs.: Extension work on individual basis and through regional demonstration plots.
Medium-range program
• Testing the effect of S on pungency, on accumulation of sugars and of storage performance. GXS interactions will be studied on ca 10 SD cultivars in 4 locations (2 in each country) over 2 years.
• Starting base populations for long-term breeding work aimed at improved quality for both fresh sweet and pungent onions and for the processing industry.
• Study growing, harvesting, and storage conditions which can further improve the shelf life of onions in Morocco and Israel.
• Broadening the knowledge of local specialists on modem onion cultivation, on quality evaluation, on improved storage and on breeding.
• Systematic testing of relevant material available from various sources will be carried out. If promising, some of this material will then be released in the target growing areas. Growers of the new introductions will receive technical assistance through extension work, on an individual basis and through regional demonstration plots.
Two one-month visits of two Moroccan researchers to Israel are suggested. In Israel, the trainees will take part in all research activities connected with the project, such as selection, documentation, testing for quality, and storage. One or two visits of the Israeli
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team each year will be necessary. The reciprocal visits are expected to lead to an immediate transfer of knowledge, expertise and experience gain.
Proposed Activities for the 1st Project Year: July 1, 1992 - June 30, 1993.
Since the fall sowing season is already over, only site inspections and evaluations of the performance of currently cultivated material will be possible. Except for relatively warm geographical niches where extremely early maturing cultivars are grown, bulbing and maturation of the major bulk of spring onions occur, in both countries, between the end of March and mid-May. If connections with Moroccan counterparts are established soon, then a visit to Israeli onion breeding and commercial fields, as well as to seed production blooming fields can be arranged through the end of March-beginning of April (just before Passover). These field excursions will be arranged in coordination with Israeli extension officers, and a variety of agrotechniques will be demonstrated and discussed (direct seeding, drip irrigation, harvesting and curing, and storage techniques). A reciprocal visit of the Israeli team to onion fields in Morocco should be scheduled for the second half of April. During these visits, the teams will become acquainted with each other as well as with the current genetic material available in the respective countries. Also, collaborative experiments to be performed through this project will be jointly considered, planned and designed.
Seeds from commercial and breeding sources will be gathered for trials in 1993-94 both in Israel and Morocco. In addition, the Israeli team will prepare material for base populations which will serve for long-term breeding projects in the two participating countries.
In the spring, mature bulb onions of commercial cvs. will be collected from three sites in Israel and three sites in Morocco for evaluation of sweetness (sugars) as well as S content and pungency (pyruvic acid analysis). The sites and cvs. will be chosen upon available information on soil composition, water quality, and phenotypic properties. The results will provide background information for reaching goals (see above). Following the establishment of contacts and mutual short visits, a Moroccan researcher will be invited for a month visit in Israel. During this period, the person will take part in all activities connected with this project, i.e., screening of segregating material in the field and in storage; seed production of breeding lines and experimental hybrids; shelf-life experiments and both subjective and objective quality evaluations.
A preliminary experiment will be initiated in Morocco for evaluation of the harvest and curing techniques for improved storage. However, details can be given only after contacts are made with the collaborating researchers .
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• 3 .
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Micropropagation of Musa spp. and Ornamental Woody and Herbaceous Species
General
Work in Israel will be emphasized on Eucalyptus and establishment of banana cultures. Work in Morocco will be emphasized on micropropagation of banana and herbaceous ornamental species. Work on ornamental species and banana, including extended work on meristem culture of banana, will be carried out in Israel upon availability of trainees from Morocco.
Eucalyptus species
The following species have been identified as having potential for production of foliage and cut flowers for ornamental industry: E. cinerea, E. spatulata, E. krusseana, E. torquata, E. woodwardii, E. torwood, E. gil/ii, E. jonnannii, E. alba, E. albida, E. clelandii, E. jicijolia, E. macranda, E. Preissiana, E. Rhodantha, E. Eremophila, E. calophyla, E. macrocarpa and E. crucis.
• In vitro culture
Seeds of selected species of the above list will be sterilized in 1 % hypochlorite for 20 min. Seeds, 3 per tube (about 50 tubes), will be germinated in 0.1 strength-MS medium supplemented with 1 % sucrose. Rate of germination, contamination, and seedling death will be recorded. After seedlings have 3 nodes, a period that usually takes several months, nodal segments will be transferred to 3 different media: 1) Murashige and Skoog (MS) supplemented with vitamins, benzyladenine (BA) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) (Lakashmi Sita & Vaidyanathan, 1979); 2) 1/2 MS salts supplemented with BA and NAA (Hartney, 1981); and 3) Modified MS supplemented with BA and NAA (Das & Mitra, 1990). The media will be supplemented with a cytokinin for the stimulation of shoot production. Each seedling will be handled as a clone, thus, nodes of each seedling will be marked. After 2 months the following growth parameters will be determined: height of the propagule, number of side shoots, total length of shoots, and total number of nodes. The best medium for each species will be determined. Shoots grown on the best medium and those grown on the other media will be further propagated on the former.
In order to prepare plant material for use under saline conditions, a selection of seedlings will take place on agar containing NaCl. Ten seeds per species per salt treatment per replicate will be germinated on agar containing 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4,0.5,0.6,0.7% NaCl. Five replicates will be used. Every day, up to 14 days, germination and rooting rates will be determined as well as the length of hypocotyl and root. After 14 days living seedlings of 0.5-0.7% NaCI treatments
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will be transferred to the best proliferation medium of each species. Shoots will be propagated as explained above. At a later stage of the program survival and growth of shoots will be determined to establish whether a correlation exists between the tolerance to salinity at the seedling and the propagated shoots.
Establishment of culture from coppice of mature trees of E. torwood
Twelve trees of E. torwood of varying degree of hybridization between E. torquata and E. woodwardii have been selected in Sde-Tieman. Cutting branches will take place during winter in order to induce coppice production. In spring, newly produced shoots, 20-40 cm in length, will be cut in the field and brought to the lab in an insulated cold box. Leaves will be cut at the petiole about 1 cm from the branch, and then the branch will be cut into nodal segments. The explants will be treated for 10-20 min with 0.5-1.0% benlate (a fungicide) and then for 10 min with 1.1 % hypochlorite solution containing 1 drop of Tween 20 in 100 m!. In some experiments other concentrations of hypochlorite and soaking periods will be applied. The explants will be washed 3 times with sterile deionized water and then cultured in 5 ml 1 % Agar Agar containing 1 % sucrose and 0.2 % charcoal. The 25 x 100 mm tubes will be covered with paper stoppers that permit relatively high gas exchange or diffusion and then put on an unlighted shelf. During the first 2 weeks, death and fungal contamination rates will be recorded and then the paper stopper will be replaced by a plastic stopper to reduce drying of the medium. Totally green explants or those with slight browning at the injured edges will be transferred to MS medium (Murashige & Skoog, 1962) supplemented with 1 mg/L Benzylaminopurine (BAP) or 3-5 mg/L indolebutyric acid (IBA) and put in the light. Newly produced shoots will be further propagated.
• Greenhouse culture
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Seeds of the selected species will be germinated in moist petri dishes. Seeds will be transferred to pots, 20 plants per species, and grown in a greenhouse. After 3 months seedlings will be transferred to pots and grown. for maturity. These plants will serve as a source for material for the study of shoot culture establishment from young trees at a later stage of the project. Plants will be held in the greenhouse as long as possible in order to reduce the fungal and bacterial contamination on shoots. In addition, depending upon quantity available, plant material will be taken from young trees growing in Sde-Tieman.
Musa and ornamentals
Propagules of banana and some ornamental species such as Dracaena and Ficus and other recommended by the Moroccan partners will be purchased and propagated by established, published protocols. Establishment of cultures of Heliconia will take place from greenhouse grown plants. Heliconia that belongs to the same family of Musa will serve as a model for banana.
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Development of Verticordia Spp. for the Ornamental Industry
Verticordia is a genus belonging to the Myrtaceae family. There are about 35 species of Verticordia, most of them native to Western Australia and most of them woody shrubs typified by colorful flowers. They can be used for flowering branches and as flowering potted plants. The range of flower colors is quite impressive-yellow, red, pink, purple, etc.
This genus is presently unknown to the ornamental market.
We are seeking the following species for introduction purposes: V. grandis, V. coolomia, V. drummondit, V. mitchellia, V. monodelphia and V. plumosa. Presently we have in our possession propagation material of the species V. huegelli. This is a dwarf shrub about 60 cm high with dark red flowers. Most of the work in the first research year will be carried out with this species.
Propagation. It appears at this stage that a major problem in the production of Verticordia is plant propagation, whether from seeds or from cuttings.
• Effect of seedbed media on germination. Five different media will be tested: Pure quartz sand; 2/3 sand and 113 peat moss; pure vermiculite; 112 peat moss; 112 vermiculite, 30% peat moss, 30% vermiculite, 30% perlite and 10% sand.
• Vegetative propagation. Top cuttings from young seedlings will be treated with two different media: 112 peat moss and 112 vermiculite; 112 vermiculite and 112 perlite. The hormone "stem root" (active ingredient - IBA) will be applied, and three concentrations of IBA tested (3,000, 6,000 and 8,000 ppm). Bed temperature will be controlled between 23 and 25°C, and rooting will be carried out in a fog system.
Growth media. Ten-liters, containers containing the following media: 2/3 sand and 113 peat moss; 30% vermiculite, 30% peat moss, 30% perlite and 10% sand; pure sand from desert sand dune; loess soil; and "Hamra" (a sandy loam red soil). Each of the medium treated will be grown under 25 % shade in a screenhouse and in full sunlight. There will be ten pots per treatment. At this stage fertilizer will be applied as a slow release compound called Osmocot (decay over 6 months) at 10 g per liter of each of the media.
The following parameters will be determined: overall appearance, growth rate (elongation), flowering date .
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• 5 .
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Truffle Cultivation
Among the desert truffles of North Africa and the Arabian peninsula, there are truffle species belonging to the genus Teljezia that grow symbiotically on the roots of annual species of the genus Helianthemum (Cistaceae) (Awameh & Alsheikh, 1978; Awameh, 1981; Alsheikh, 1984). One of the most highly appreciated and most abundant of these species is Teljezia boudieri, which lives symbiotically with two annual Helianthemum species, H. salicifolium and H. ledifolium (Awameh et el. 1979; Awameh 1981). Some work has been done towards cultivation of this truffle (e.g., all the aforementioned authors), but no successful effort has been reported so far (Singer & Harris, 1987).
We propose to study the potential for cultivating the Moroccan black desert truffle Teljezia boudieri on the above-mentioned annual Helianthemum species (both of which also grow in the Israeli Negev), in Morocco and in Israel, in the framework of a cooperative research effort.
Our ultimate aim will be to formulate recommendations for the farmer who wishes to grow truffles commercially.
Cultivating truffles on an annual basis has several obvious advantages over cultivation of perennial couples:
• In the case of perennials there is a comparatively long wait before the plot starts producing (at least two years for Helianthemum-Teljezia).
• To ensure continued production in a perennial plot, the fruiting bodies have to be collected individually between and underneath the plants, while with annuals the whole plot can be harvested mechanically at one go. ..
• With annuals questions can be formulated and answered within one season. Where perennials are concerned experiments take much longer.
• Survival of the symbiosis over the dry season is not a concern where annuals are cultivated.
Proposed Long-Term Stages of the Research
Fruiting bodies of T. boudieri will be collected in Morocco. Mycelium will be isolated using methods already in use in our laboratory (Roth-Bejerano et al., 1990).
The annual Helianthemum species will be germinated from seeds (this is being done routinely in our laboratory), then inoculated either with the isolated mycelium on artificial media under sterile conditions (Roth-Bejerano et al., 1990), or with truffle
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spores using a semi sterile procedure in sterile soil (Kagan-Zur et al., 1992). Optimal soil composition will be determined.
The ability of a single well-established symbiosis (as opposed to a community of several plants) to support fruiting bodies (truffle) formation will be investigated:
• by enabling a single symbiotic plant to complete its life cycle on its own, in pots of various sizes (to avoid limiting the roots and especially to avoid preventing the mycelium from achieving a potential critical mass);
• as above, but with several plants in one pot, the size of which will be varied over two ranges, one as in (a) above and the other designed to allow for the increased number of plants;
In the latter experiments (a and b) symbiosis will be obtained using either mycelium (genetically homogeneous) or spores (genetically variable), in order to enable us to assess whether genetically different mycelia are required for fruiting body production.
Although the experiments will be conducted all year round, particular attention will be paid to the productive period of the plant's growth season. This is in the light of our work with H. sessiliflorum and T. leon is , in the course of which we observed that under a year-round irrigation regime the appearance of fruiting bodies was confined to a particular season; by contrast, in the same experiments the symbiosis persisted intact and the symbiotic plants flowered continuously (Kagan-Zur et al., 1987). The reasons for this phenomenon are not known at the moment; temperature, day length, light intensity, minute changes in the atmosphere, combinations of the above, or other factors may be implicated.
Plots of inoculated seedlings will be established during the productive season in both countries:
• Plant seeds submerged in spore solution containing adhesive agents (Kagan-Zur et al., 1992) will be germinated on location.
• Preinoculated seedlings will be transferred to plots (much like tomato seedlings); the inoculum will consist of either spores or mycelium, whichever will have been found to be more efficient.
• Different irrigation regimes will be tried to determine optimal combinations. The goal will be to assure fruiting body formation while preventing the roots from penetrating too deeply into the soil (Kagan-Zur et aI., 1986). The parameters concerned are: total amount of water, volume of water per irrigation, and frequency of irrigation .
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Research Plan for the First Year
A trip to Morocco is planned to take place some time in February-March 1993. Its purpose will be to establish collaboration with local researchers and collect starting material in the form of Teifezia boudieri fruiting bodies. All further work described below will be carried out in Israel as the Israeli part of the project.
The samples of T. boudieri material will be used as follows:
• For isolation of mycelium on the following artificial media: medium developed by Bonfante & Fontana (1972-1973) (principal medium); and MMN medium (Marx, 1969). The two differ in their carbon and nitrogen source, as well as in their vitamin supplements and CA 2+ concentration, and different truffles prefer one or the other (our own unpublished results).
• As a spore source. Samples of the material will be sun-dried. To preserve the germination potential of the spores, the samples will be kept in a desiccated state. When needed, pieces of fruiting body will be imbibed in water for 24 h, then surface sterilized using NaOCI followed by ethanol. The pieces will then be macerated (using a sterile mortar) in the appropriate solution for the experiment.
Seeds of the two annual Helianthemum species (H. salicifolium and H. ledifolium) from our own collection will be used during the first months of the research, and new batches will be collected from the wild as soon as they become available in the early spring.
In the first instance, until mycelium becomes available, seeds will either be imbibed in spore solution containing an adherent (sucrose or gelatin, Kagan-Zur et al., 1992), then sown for germination; or they will be germinated directly and inoculated later with spore solution. White polystyrene cups will be used containing sterile soil mixtures composed either of sand, vermiculite and peat (1/3: 1/3: 1/3), or of sand and peat alone (80% : 20%); these mixtures have already been used successfully for germinating and growing the above annuals. White polystyrene cups have been shown to support a higher survival rate of the seedlings, possibly due to reduction of soil temperature (our unpublished results).
The cups will be held under various conditions: (a) in a controlled growth room (25°e, 16 h light), (b) in a glass greenhouse, (c) at two different shade levels (30% and 60%), and (d) outdoors. The aim of this step is to assess the best conditions for obtaining initial symbiosis, to enable mycorrhization indoors independently of the season of the year. This information is also important in view of possible differences in conditions between Morocco and Israel.
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As soon as mycelium becomes available, seeds will be surface sterilized (NaOCI) and germinated in sterile test tubes containing agar-solidified half-strength Hoagland solution (Hoagland & Arnon, 1950), with or without activated charcoal, along with a mycelial inoculum (Roth-Bejerano et al., 1990). The test tubes will be kept in a controlled growth room (25°C, 16 h light).
Once a month, samples of each treatment will be collected and studied. Overall appearance of the plant (shoot weight, root weight, degree of branching of both, time of flowering, number of flowers) will be correlated with level of mycorrhization. The latter will be assessed by staining the roots with Trypan-blue (Roth-Bejerano et al., 1990) and recording the number of mycorrhized roots and the form of the association (close contact between root and hyphae, hyphal penetration between cortical cells, Hartig-net formation, etc.).
References
Alsheikh, A. (1984) Mycorrhizae of annual Helianthemum species formed with desert truffles. proc. 6th N. Amer. Conf. Mycor. p. 445.
Awameh, M.S. and Alsheikh, A. (1978) Laboratory and field study of four kinds of truffle (Kamah), Terfezia and Tirmania species for cultivation. Mushroom Sci. X (part II):507-517.
Awameh, M.S. (1981) The response of Helianthemum salicifolium and H. ledifolium to infection by the desert truffle Teljezia boudieri. Mushroom Sci. XI:843-853.
Awameh, M.S., Alsheikh, A. and Ghawas, S. (1979) Mycorrhizal synthesis between Helianthemum ledifolium, H. Salicifolium and four species of the genus Teljezia and Tirmania using ascospores and mycelial cultures obtained from ascospores germination. In: Proc. 4th North Amer. Conference on Mycorrhiza, Fort Collins, Colorado p. 23.
Bonfante, P.F. and Fontana, A. (1972-1973) Sulla nutrizione del micelia di Tuber melanosporum Vitt. in Coltura. At. Acad. Sci. Torino, pp. 731-741.
Hoagland, D.R. and Arnon, D.1. (1950) The water culture method for plants without soil. Circular 374, Univ. of California, Agriculture Experimental Station, Berkeley.
Kagan-Zur, V., Dvir, I., Roth-Bejerano, N., Taylor, F. and Baker, N. (1992) Cultivation of Teljezia pjeilii, the Kalahari desert truffle. Report no. BGUN-ARI-ll-92. Submitted to the AID-CDR.
Kagan-Zur, V., Roth-Bejerano, N. and De-Malach, Y. (1987) Truffle cultivation on marginal lands in Israel. Report no. BGUN-ARI-73-86. Submitted to Ramat-Megev R&D. In Hebrew .
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Kagan-Zur, V., Roth-Bejerano, N. and De-Malach, Y. (1987). Truffle cultivation on marginal lands in Israel. Report no. BGUN-ARI-24-87. Submitted to Ramat-Megev R&D. In Hebrew.
Marx, D. Hh (1969) The influence of ectotropic mycorrhizal fungi on the resistance of pine roots to pathogenic infection. I: Antagonism of mycorrhizal fungi to root pathogenic fungi and soil bacteria. Phytopathol. 59: 153-163.
Roth-Bejerano, N., Livne, D. and Kagan-Zur, V. (1990) Helianthemum - Teifezia relations in different growth media. New Phytol. 114:235-238.
Singer, R. and Harris, R. (1987) Mushrooms and Truffles. Koeltz Scientific Books, Pub!. Koenigstein. Chapter VI, pp. 189-203 .
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IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
• 43
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IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
In order to implement the work plan the following was proposed by the Technical Committee as an Implementation Schedule for the next eighteen months .
44
• A TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
YEAR ONE (CONTRACT RECEIVED)
1992
ACTIVITIES: GENERAL JULY AUG SEPT OCT
1. Employ remaining project staff
2. Procure equipment
3. Development of research sites in Morocco and Israel
4. Implement project in Morocco and Israel
5. Conduct internal evaluation
6. Publish and disseminate information and briefing
7. Collect, review, and forward to USAID contract required reports
• Semi-annual 4_
• Annual 4_
• Financial 4.
8. Convene Technical Committee meeting 4"
9. Convene Steering Committee meeting
D:\T1M\WORD\MOROCCO\T1METABLE.PM4
• 1993
Nov DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
.. t
t
•
• A TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
YEAR Two 1993
ACTIVITIES: GENERAL JULY AUG SEPT OCT
l. Procure equipment/supplies
2. Development of research sites in Morocco and Israel
3. Implement project in Morocco and Israel
4. Publish and disseminate information and briefing
5. Collect, review, and forward to USAID contract required reports
• Semi-annual • • Annual • • Financial t
6. Convene Technical Committee meeting •• 7. Convene Steering Committee meeting
)
D:\T1M\WORD\MOROCCO\TIMETABLE.PM4
• 1994
Nov DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
It
~
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• A TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
YEAR ONE (CONTRACT RECEIVED)
1992
ACTIVITIES: TECHNICAL - MOROCCO JULY AUG SEPT OCT
GENERAL
• Seek bids for equipment and supplies
• Select suppliers and make orders
• Supplies and equipment to arrive
• Commence construction
ECONOMIC STUDY
VEGETABLES
Open Field:
• Sterilize and mulch soil; obtain seed
• Cover tunnels, plant seed
• Start preparing fields
• Plant tomato speedlings
• Start melon harvest and sow green beans
• Start tomato harvest
• Artichokes-start harvesting
• Green beans-start harvesting Greenhouse:
• Prepare greenhouses
• Start artichoke harvest
• Harvest tomatoes
D:\TIM\WORDWOROCCO\T1METABLE.PM4
• 11993
Nov DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
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• A TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
YEAR ONE (CONTRACT RECEIVED)
1992
ACTIVITIES: TECHNICAL - MOROCCO (CONTINUED) JULY AUG SEPT OCT
POT PLANTS (ORNAMENTALS)
• Order supplies
• Construction, order propagules
• Start propagation
• Start planting rooted propagules and selling
• Start potting to 15 cm pots ~
BANANA HARDENING
• Order meristems
• Start house construction
• Complete house construction
• Start acclimating meristems
• Start selling plantlets EXTENSION
• Start demonstrations
• Three (3) staff to Agritech
• Select agents
D:\TlM\WORD\MOROCCO\TIMETABLE.PM4
• 1993
Nov DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
..... ~
~
~
~
~
• A TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
YEAR ONE (CONTRACT RECEIVED)
1992
ACTIVITIES: TECHNICAL - ISRAEL JULY AUG SEPT OCT
1. Research and testing of tomato varieties in Israel
2. Site inspections and evaluation of onions culturated in Israel
• Moroccans visit Israeli onion breeding and commercial facilities
• Collect onion seeds from three sites each in Israel and Morocco
3. Research Eucalyptus
• In-vitro culture
• Greenhouse
4. Establishment of cultures of bananas and selected ornamentals.
5. Research on propagation of vertiocordia
6. Research on truffle cultivation
• Israelis visit Morocco to collect material
• 1993
Nov DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
~
• ACTIVITIES: TECHNICAL - MOROCCO
ECONOMIC STUDY
VEGETABLES
Open Field:
A TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
YEAR Two
1993
JULY AUG SEPT OCT
• Sterilize and mulch soil; obtain seed
• Cover tunnels, plant seed
• Start preparing fields
• Plant tomato speedlings
• Start melon harvest and sow green beans
• Start tomato harvest
• Artichokes-start harvesting
• Green beans-start harvesting Greenhouse:
• Prepare greenhouses
• Start artichoke harvest
• Harvest tomatoes
D:hlM\WORD\MOROCCO\TlMETABLE,PM4
• 1994
Nov DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
--'--'--
• A TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
YEAR Two
1993
ACTIVITIES: TECHNICAL - MOROCCO (CONTINUED) JULY AUG SEPT OCT
POT PLANTS (ORNAMENTALS)
• Order supplies
• Order propagules
• Start propagation
• Start planting rooted propagules and selling
• Start potting to 15 cm pots
BANANA HARDENING
• Order meristems
• Start acclimating meristems
• Start selling plantlets EXTENSION
• Demonstrations
• Training
• Extension
D:\TIM\WORD\MOROCCO\TlMETABLE.PM4
• 1994
Nov DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
~
~
• ACTIVITIES: TECHNICAL - ISRAEL
A TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
YEAR Two
1993
JULY AUG SEPT OCT
1. Research and testing of tomato varieties in Israel and Morocco
2. Research and testing of onion seeds collected from three sites each in Israel and Morocco
3. Research on eucalyptus
4. Research on bananas and ornamentals
5. Research on propogation of verticordia
6. Research on truffle cultivation
O:\T1M\WORD\MOROCCO\TlMETABLE.PM4
• 1994
Nov DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
• •
•
•
BUDGET MODIFICATIONS
In order to provide the needed infrastructure to commence the project, the following budget modifications to the Moroccan Subgrant budget were agreed upon by Driss Lahlou, Hassan Alami, Bonnie Stewart, and Tim Hushen on November 9, 1992. These modifications were proposed following discussions with the above mentioned persons and Itzhak Ayalon, AllaI Chibane, and Hammoutou EI-Mekki on November 8, 1992.
The changes were made by transferring funds from "operational costs and salaries" to materials and supplies." This transfer was possible because the grant start date was July 1, 1992; however, no salary or operational costs in Morocco were incurred during the first three months of the project. The following are the budget modifications that were agreed upon:
Morocco Subgrant Original 33% Reduced Modified Balance
Operational Costs Salaries
Total
$ 50,000 147,000
$ 16,660 48,995
$ 65,655
$ 33,340 98,000
San Diego State University Foundation will amend the Maghreb Agriculture Cooperative Agreement to reflect the budget modifications. SDSUF will notify USAID of these changes.
The amount to be added to the original budget for materials and supplies, with the modifications detailed above which are cost savings in the "operational" and "salaries", include:
"Operational" "Salaries"
*Original budget for material/supplies plus
TOTAL
$ 16,660 48,995
$ 217,000
$ 282,655
Therefore, with modified budget, $282,655 will be available for materials and supplies .
See the following page for budget details agreed upon.
54
• Five Year Totals for Moroccan Subgrant, $ Total *First Year Second Year
Infrastructure/Machinery 79,000 104,000. 25,000
Speedling Nursery 102,000 102,000
Plastic tomatoes 25,000 25,000
Hardening bananas, 1000 sq. meters 20,000 20,000
Soil mixing plant 23,000 23,000
Fertilizers and chemicals 33,000 10,000
Nursery supplies 110,000 flexible 20,000
Office equipment 20,500
Open field 95,000 95,000
Pot plant, 1000 sq. meters 72,000 72,000
TOTALS 604,500 289,000
Micropropagation Laboratory 300,000
TOTAL 904,500
• 55
•
EQUIPMENT
• 56
•
•
LIST OF RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT AND MACIDNERY
Tractor 110 HP Sprayer + Boom (12M) Moldbarrow plough (14") Disk and wheels Rotovator 189 cm Plastic spreader Row cultivator Soluble fertilizer applicator Lateral collector Irrigation systems:
A. Laterals (Ram type 17 mm 1.6 lIh, 0.5 cm B. Gravel battery filters C. Fertilizer injectors D. Irrigation computer E. PVC pipe for main line - 8 inch F. Manifolds G. Fittings and equipment
20 Tensiometers 1000 trays for seedlings Peat Perlite Nursery for seedlings + rooting tables + heating system hardening nursery Pot-plant nursery Sowing machine for nursery Weather station and dataIogger (minimum 25 channels) Electrotensiometers (20)
57
•
SOURCE AND ORIGIN
• 58
• • REVISED LIST OF APPROVED EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES BASED ON TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING, NOVEMBER 4-7, 1992
MOROCCAN COOPERATIVE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES
SOURCE 1. Infrastructure & Machinery
a. Meterological Station USA b. Electrical Generator-220/380 MOROCCO c. 110 Horsepower Tractor-I 20-130 JOHN DEERE MOROCCO d. 50 Horsepower Tractor
e. Subsoiler ISRAEL f. Rotorator ISRAEL g. Disk Harow MOROCCO h. Reversible Triple Head Plough ISRAEL i Boom Sprayer, 500 liter, stainless steel ISRAEL j Fertilizer Spreader, 400 liter ISRAEL k Organic Spreader ISRAEL
Sub-Total U.S. $:
2. 1000 m2 "Speedling" Nursery a. 2000 m2 Galvanized Steel Structure ISRAEL b. Cover ofthe Structure ISRAEL
c. Concrete Paths and Works MOROCCO d. Benches and Styrofoam Trays ISRAEL e. Heating Systems ISRAEL f. Cooling & Ventilation ISRAEL g. Irrigation & Fertilization ISRAEL h. Electrical Work MOROCCO 1. Germination Room ISRAEL j. Automatic Seed Planting System ISRAEL
2000 m2 Plastic Houses ISRAEL
1000 m2 Banana P.H. for Hardening ISRAEL Sub-Total U.S. $:
3. 10,000 m2 Open Field a. Initial Field Treatment,Drains, Main pipes, Fence MOROCCO b. Drip Irrigation System MOROCCO c. Automation and Main Head for Irrigation ISRAEL
Sub-Total:
4. 1,000 m2 Pot-Plant Nursery a. Galvanized Steel Structure ISRAEL b. Cover ISRAEL c. Benches & Trays ISRAEL d. Concrete Paths and Works ISRAEL
Page I
ORIGIN COST
USA USA
USA
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL
ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL
MOROCCO
MOROCCO
MOROCCO MOROCCO ISRAEL
ISRAEL
ISRAEL
MOROCCO ISRAEL
ISRAEL
ISRAEL
MOROCCO
MOROCCO MOROCCO
ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL ISRAEL ISRAEL
30-Nov-92
$ 10,000
18,000
25,000
3,000
5,000
2,000 7,000
4,000
1,000
4,000 $79,000
$ 10,000
5,000 5,000
30,000 12,000 10,000
10,000
4,000 4,000
14,000
$20,000
$5,000 $129,000
$ 20,000 50,000
25,000 $95,000
$ 9,000 5,000
15,000 4,000
REVISMOR.xLS 12/8192
• • REVISED LIST OF APPROVED EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES BASED ON TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING, NOVEMBER 4-7, 1992
e. Root Heating System ( Space Heating System
g. Cooling & Ventilation
i. Irrigation and Fertilization
Sub-Total:
5. Micropropagation Laboratory
This plant will be composed of 150 m2 aflaboratory house
including entrance room, lobby and office, showers and
restrooms; one room containing five hoods, agar
preparation room; 4 growing chambers and machinery.
a. Construction
b. Air·Conditioning and Positive Pressure Air System
c. Lights, Electricity and Gas and Vacuum System
d. Internal Furniture
e. Equipment including five (5) hoods, autoclave, etc
Sub-Total U.S. $:
6. Soil Mixing Plant
a. Concrete Structure
b. Conveyors
c. Mixing Machine
d. Steam System
e. Packing System
Sub-Total U.S. $:
7. Fertilizers and Chemicals
a. 60 tons Super Phosphate
b. 60 tons Anunonium Sulfate
c. 60 tons Potassium Chloride
d. 20 tons Compounded Fertilizers
e. Organic Manure
Sub-Total U.S. $:
8. Nursery Supplies
a. Seeds
b. Plant Stock
c. Venniculite
d. Perlite Sub·Total U.s. $
9. Office Equipment and Supplies
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
MOROCCO MOROCCO
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
MOROCCO MOROCCO
USA USA
MOROCCO MOROCCO
USA USA
USA USA
USA USA
USA USA
MOROCCO MOROCCO
MOROCCO MOROCCO
MOROCCO MOROCCO
ISRAEL ISRAEL
MOROCCO MOROCCO
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
MOROCCO USA
MOROCCO USA
Page 2
14,000
10,000
15,000
10,000
$82,000
$160,000
65,000
20,000
20,000
35,000
$300,000
$4,000
6,000
10,000
3,000
$23,000
$ 5,000
5,000
3,000
10,000
10,000 $33,000
S50,000
$40,000
$10,000
SIO,OOO $110,000
REV1SMOR.h'LS 12/8/92
REVtD LIST OF APPROVED EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES BASED ON TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING, NOVEMB!.7, 1992
a. FAX Machines
b. Photocopier
c. Desk, Tables
d. Typewriters and general office equipment
e. Computers and software
f. Office Supplies Sub-total U.S. $
10. Other Supplies and Equipment
a. Plastics
b. Benches
c. Water, Chemicals and Fuel
d. Hoods
e. Growth Chambers
f. High Resolution Microscope
Sub-Total U.S.
GRAND TOTALS
1. Infrastructure & Machinery
2. 2000 m2 "Speedling" Nursery
3. 10,000 012 Open Field
4. 1,000 m2 Pot-Plant Nursery
5. Micropropagation Laboratory
6. Soil Mixing Plant
7. Fertilizers and Chemicals
8. Nursery Supplies
9. Office Equipment and Supplies
Other Supplies and Equipment
TOTAL U.S. $:
I
MOROCCO USA
MOROCCO USA
MOROCCO MOROCCO
MOROCCO USA
USA USA
MOROCCO MOROCCO
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
ISRAEL ISRAEL
Page 3
$1,500
$3,000
$2,000
$4,000
$8,000
$2,000
$20,500
$79,000
$8,000
$15,000
$10,000
$30,000
$50,000
$192,000
$79,000
129,000
95,000
82,000
300,000
23,000
33,000
110,000
20,500
192,000
$1,063,500
REVISMORXLS 1218.'91
