Damascus-Sana
The introduction of any plant species on agricultural land requires a set of precise conditions and standards related to the environment and the climate to ensure its proper growth, otherwise it is possible that this type negatively controls the agricultural environment and turns into a gas plant that is difficult to control. This is proven by the committee in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform. By studying the reality of invasive introduced plants such as (Paulownia and Azolla).
Cultivation of (paulownia trees and azola plants) has encountered a divergence of opinions recently between those who support its cultivation due to its economic importance and those who warn of its long-term dangers .. However, the Ministry of Agriculture finally translated its opinion on the ground by issuing a decision banning their cultivation except for the purposes of scientific research, which is something that SANA followed to find out Causes and details related to this type of plants.
Assistant Director-General of the General Authority for Agricultural Research, Dr. Bahaa Al-Raheban explained in a statement to the delegate of SANA that despite the hopes placed on the introduced plants to support the national economy, such as paulownia and azola, but as a result of careful scientific and research studies, the seriousness of these two types has proven to affect the biological diversity of the environment. They turn into invasive plants that are difficult to control and compete with local crops in food, water and soil, which prompted the Ministry of Agriculture to issue a decision on the 24th of last November prohibiting the transfer, circulation and cultivation of these plants except for the purposes of scientific research.
Paulownia is defined in the academic botanical description as a fast-growing tree that lives for a period of 85 to 100 years, its wood is cut once every 5 years and then regenerated again. As for Azolla, it is an aquatic fern that lives in ponds and swamps that require environmental conditions that are difficult to secure in Syria.
As for Azolla, despite the many advantages of its use as feed to feed poultry, livestock and fish, its large-scale cultivation is fraught with many dangers, ”according to what Dr. Monks confirms, indicating that this plant grows at a high speed and invades water bodies and dams as well as it needs large quantities of water Which must be completely renewed every few months, which are significant amounts.
With regard to the cultivation of Paulownia trees, they are not new within the Syrian lands, as they were introduced to the country 30 years ago with the intention of using them for decoration, but the interest in them increased during the current year as a tree that produces wood and beekeeping, according to Dr. Al-Raheban, who pointed out that the introduction of this type of tree was not previously With prior permission from the concerned authorities at the Ministry of Agriculture, it was cultivated individually before studying it as required.
Dispensing with the cultivation of paulownia for the purpose of ornamentation and transformation into forestry showed the extent of its danger, which was explained by the Director of Natural Resources at the General Authority for Agricultural Research, Dr.Muhammad Manhal Al-Zoubi, by saying that despite the productive advantages of Paulownia trees in their original habitat, their use in afforestation has many consequences that appear. Over time, through the ability of this species to spread rapidly due to its winged and small seeds that fly to different places and thus sometimes grow in difficult environments such as cracks in sidewalks, roads, farms and gardens edges, and they are plants that attract insects.
In his response to those who defend the cultivation of Paulownia because its wood is lightweight and economically feasible, Al-Zoubi denied this benefit because there are tree species known in Syria and have a much better quality woody than Paulownia such as (poplar and elm), explaining that Paulownia is a water-hungry tree that needs quantities that are not available from rain precipitation. The annual requirement requires the provision of a high water regulation that can be used in more strategic crops, such as olives, as it does not tolerate strong winds or frosts, and requires fertile lands with a high content of organic matter. If some consider it to be a fire-resistant species, it must be known that this feature applies to most species. Natural forests in Syria.
It is noteworthy that there are other types of plants that have dominated large areas of agricultural and non-agricultural lands, including (wild eggplant) and (poisonous Nile flower), which calls for concerted efforts in the ministries, concerned authorities and specialists to raise awareness and warn of the need to stay away from them and not cultivate them and find systematic programs To eliminate them in the places where they appear.
Mahasin Al-Awad