Page 212 - Bahrain Gov annual reports (V a)_Neat

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In selecting a site a sheltered position should be chosen and care must be taken to sec that
the land is not in a hollow which is likely to be flooded and waterlogged by seasonal rains.
Preferably the land should have a light slope to facilitate drainage, should not present many
obstacles as far as clearing and levelling is concerned, should be fairly clear of gravel beds,
hardpans and large stones. In desert areas which arc being put under cultivation for the first
time or after a long fallow, the soil which is usually deficient in nitrogen and humus, should be
built up by the application of organic matter or by growing green manures which should be
turned into the soil and allowed to rot down.
Water supply is of major importance in the’production of vegetables as large quantities are
required to grow any vegetable crop. Not only must the supply be dependable and capable
of producing an adequate quantity of water, but the quality should also be good with as low a
salt content as possible. In Bahrain where the supply of water is limited and the soil is sandy,
losses through waste, evaporation and percolation, are very high and the gradient of irrigation
channels should only be sufficient to cause a gentle flow which will saturate the soil and eliminate
evaporation and seepage.
Land preparation and tillage arc very important factors in the production of vegetable
crops. The object of tillage is to bring the land into the best possible condition to facilitate the
growth of plants, to eliminate weeds and reduce insect pests. Where small seeded crops arc to
be grown seed beds should be very carefully prepared. Beds should be manured with well
rotted farmyard manure and compost which should be worked into the top soil. After man­
uring, plots should receive a fairly heavy watering and should be left until they are reasonably
dry before the surface soil is broken prior to planting. The depth at which seeds should be
planted varies considerably. Large seeds, such as peas and beans, may be covered with one to
two inches of soil, smaller seeds are normally covered to a depth of a quarter to half an inch
while very small seeds only require a light dusting of soil. As far as possible seeds should be
planted in rows at a uniform depth to produce good stands and facilitate weed eradication
which is a major problem in Bahrain. Sowing seeds too early in the season especially in the
case of winter vegetables and annual flowers should be avoided. The practice of sowing seeds
in August and early September often proves to be disappointing and wasteful as germination is
usually poor and results are far from satisfactory.

The Date Palm in Bahrain
The date palm which has been grown in Bahrain for a great many years may still be said
to be one of the two most important crops grown on the Island. Before the oil era which has
introduced a more varied diet the date was the most important crop on the Island and it still
forms part of the staple food of the local population. Although there is still a great demand
for dates, growers are finding it increasingly difficult to make date growing an ecomonic
proposition and the date gardens are gradually deteriorating. This downward trend may be
attributable to many causes, the two main ones being the land tenure system and the high cost
of labour. Most of the date gardens are owned by Shaikhs and merchants and if they are not
run by direct labour they arc usually leased out to tenants on a two-year basis. Rents in cash
and kind are relatively high, labour costs have soared in the past few years and tenants find
they cannot employ enough labour to carry out normal cultural operations and also make a
profit. The result is that they work on the minimum labour requirements, take all they possibly
can out of the gardens during their tenure and the date trees receive little or no attention and
suffer from a lack of cultivation, manuring and inadequate watering. This process over a
period of years has had a very deleterious effect on the date crop and the average per tree has
dropped appreciably and is now in the region of 50-60 lbs. per tree.
Due mainly to the shortage of manure and the high cost of labour, dates arc seldom if ever
manured and as most of the older gardens were planted irregularly it is practically impossible
to carry out cultivation mechanically. The irrigation system as far as dates are concerned is
far from satisfactory and water channels instead of running down the rows of trees are usually
run between the rows with the result that the date palms do not receive sufficient irrigation.
Pests and diseases are also playing their part in the deterioration process. Date palms that have
been killed by beetle attack are usually left standing and rubbish is allowed to accumulate with
the result that areas are provided for breeding and the incidence of beetle attack is increasing.
Mildew is also spreading all over the Island and is very noticeable on the Marzaban variety.