LocationsCistanche Cultivation in Aral Sea Region: way to boost local agriculture, employment and health
November 21, 2024
Cistanche plant
Karakalpakstan, November 21, 2024. In a new effort to tackle the environmental and economic challenges of the Aral Sea region, more than 60 local households in Muynak, Kungrad, and Takhtakupir have completed training on how to grow Cistanche, a hardy desert plant with important health benefits. The training, conducted from November 18-21, 2024, equips these families with the skills necessary to grow Cistanche in their local environment and provides them with seeds to begin cultivation.
Cistanche, a parasitic plant that thrives in arid conditions, is known for its health benefits, particularly in traditional medicine where it is used for boosting energy, improving health and supporting the immune system. Cistanche is distributed from inland China to Inner Mongolia and Central Asia. Cistanche thrives in harsh desert conditions, making it an ideal crop for cultivation in regions like Aral Sea basin, where environmental conditions are challenging, yet the potential for sustainable agricultural development is high. It is well-suited to desert environments and can grow in poor soil, on shrubs like saxaul and tamarix, and in areas with strong sunlight and little water.
Over three days, tqualified specialists from the Japanese Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA) conducted instruction on artificial cultivation of Cistanche, which include essential techniques for host tree cultivation, afforestation, and parasitic planting. The goal of the training is to help local families gain new farming skills and provide seasonal employment through Cistanche farming. This will help boost the local economy, which is facing environmental challenges.
By adopting Cistanche cultivation, local farmers will not only contribute to the rehabilitation of desert lands but also tap into the lucrative market for medicinal plants. Cistanche has significant potential for export due to its health benefits, providing local families with an opportunity to earn a living through sustainable, environment-friendly farming.
Cultivation of Cistanche with other plant
The cultivation method emphasizes the importance of selecting suitable sites and host plants for Cistanche, which requires minimal soil conditions, with a preference for neutral to slightly alkaline pH (7.5-9) and good drainage. Cistanche thrives in environments with low salinity and can be planted on abandoned or lightly saline land, sandy wastelands, and even areas affected by desertification.
Key steps in Cistanche cultivation:
The introduction of this cultivation method also provides seasonal employment, creating work opportunities during the planting and harvesting periods. This initiative is seen as a vital step in addressing the long-term economic challenges faced by the Aral Sea region, which has suffered from ecological degradation and lack of water resources for decades.
The local authorities, in collaboration with agricultural experts and environmental organizations, plan to expand the initiative to other parts of the Aral Sea region.
About the project
Trainings were conducted in collaboration with Forestry Agency specialists and Japanese experts of OISCA and the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region in Uzbekistan (MPHSTF) funded project “Building knowledge and skills of local partners and communities to address environmental insecurities through innovative air, land, and water management solutions in the Aral Sea region”. The UNDP and FAO Joint Programme aims at improving the practice of managing ecosystem services at the local level, increasing the efficiency and innovations to address environmental degradation and its ongoing stress on local communities facing multiple vulnerabilities.
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