On 5 April 2025 the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture ( ICBA ) shared with Dubai Municipality more than 800 come of five threatened , autochthonic unwarranted plant species from its cistron bank .
The seed carry-over forms part of ICBA ’s curriculum on collect , preserving and transferring flora genetic fabric to unlike institutions around the world .
According to scientists , the five coinage are considered jeopardize in the UAE due to dissimilar broker , include climate variety and urbanization .
The seed software system includes 500 seeds of Ochradenus aucheri , 100 seeds of Salvia macilenta , 20 seeds of Indigofera oblongifolia , and 100 seeds of Senna alexandrina and Senna italica each .
Dr. Mohammed Shahid , a geneticist at ICBA , said that the seminal fluid were hoard between 2007 and 2013 during various botanic expeditions by ICBA scientists across the UAE in an effort to preserve them . The species are decorative and will be used by Dubai Municipality for landscaping , Dr. Mohammed Shahid added .
While have the come , Mr. Abdulrahiman Isak , an Agriculture Department technologist at Dubai Municipality , said : “ I would care to thank ICBA for allow seeded player sampling for our run . I was astound to see that ICBA ’s employment is so closely yoke to challenges of water , environment , income and food for thought security . I am very felicitous to see the center ’s applied enquiry - for - development work drive at addressing the agrarian challenge in marginal environments , including judgement of raw resources , climate change adaptation , crop productivity and variegation , aquaculture and bioenergy and insurance analysis . ”
Established in 2000 , ICBA ’s gene bank currently hive away over 14,000 germplasm access of about 250 table salt - liberal and salt - loving plant metal money from more than 150 commonwealth .
Over the years , the centre has also gathered around 250 seed sample distribution of 70 wild plant metal money in the UAE . This germplasm now serve as a unique source for researchers working with salt- and warmth - tolerant plants .
Under the program on plant genetic resourcefulness , the center ’s scientist channel regular expeditions to collect and conserve some of the economically important species which are aboriginal to the UAE and might be under threat due to overgrazing and expanding upon of human closure .
This work has helped , for exemplar , to save Halfa grass , a uncommon plant species in the UAE , from potential experimental extinction . Scientists have also uncovered and documented eight plant metal money previously unknown to survive in the country .
For more information : ICBAAcademic City , Al Ain RoadAl Ruwayyah 2 , Near Zayed UniversityDubai , United Arab EmiratesP.O. Box 14660 + 971 4 336 11 00 + 971 4 336 11 55[email protected]www.biosaline.org
