Agricultural Development in the West Bank (ص 31)

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Agricultural Development in the West Bank (ص 31)

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Violent seasonal fluctuations in rainfall entail a large degree of
variability in yields of rainfed crops and induce a high margin
of risk. This is, in fact, one of the key factors involved in
“alternate bearing" of olives, which is a major problem facing
West Bank agriculture. Besides, the incidence of drought has
4 drastic influence on grain crops, natural pastures, and livestock
flocks.
Amother feature of rainfall distribution is its marked fluctuation
‘dthin the same season. While the bulk of rain usually falls in
mid-season (January and February), there could be considerable
irregularity in the pattern of rainfall (see Chart 11-2). Again,
‘this adds mich to the hazards of rainfed farming, particularly when
early rains are sonetines succeeded by prolonged intervals of
‘dryness, which may result in serious losses to crops sown early
in the season, following heavy initial showers.
Quart (11-2
‘Amount of weekly precipitation (xm)
Tulkarn (1978-79)
&6 8 8 38 8
Soureg,
Ce: Records of Khadourie Agricultural
53
A third detrimental aspect of rain is the intensity of its fall.
‘As typical of semi-~equatorial regions, rain may sometimes fall in
torrential storms over short periods of time. Table (11-3) shows
the incidence of days during the rainy season when more than 30 mm
of rain falls in 24 hours. It is not unknown to have rainy days
with more than 100 nm of precipitation.
Table (II = 3)
Number of days in which precipitation exceeds 30 mm
(Tulkarm, 1976 = 80)
0-50 om 50-100 mm over 100 mm
1976 1 1 1 (135 mm)
1977 7 2 -
1978 2 - “
1979 3 2 1 (116 mm)
1980 2 - -
Source: Records of Khadourie Agricultural Institute, Tulkarn.
The damage inflicted by torrential rain on agriculture is enormous
and it adds further to the risks undertaken by farmers on dry land.
Resides sweeping trees and crops away, and destroying valuable
stone walls, stormy rain also causes considerable erosion of the
surface soil which may be only a few inches deep. Erosion is
further aggravated by the relatively steep slope of most West
out of
Bank hills, which results in putting extensive art
Production.
Another salient result of occasional torrential rain is the loss
of most precipitation in run-off accumilating in ephemeral wadis.
Instead of being stored in surface reservoirs, water flows mostly
westward into Israel.

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Agricultural Development in the West Bank

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المنشئ

Hisham Masoud Awartani

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