01586naa a2200157 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000130006024500900007326000090016352011260017265300140129870000190131270000160133177300810134715224572024-04-08       1994    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d1 aNERD, A.  aIntroduction and domestication of rare and wild fruit and nut trees for desert areas.  c1994  aThe range of crops that can be grown commercially in hot desert regions is very limited. This is specially true for orchard crops. The purpose of our research program is to develop new crops for tiot desert areas through .troduction and domestication. Our approach is based on perennial plants from two sources: wild plant species from arid and semiarid areas, yielding nutritious fruits or nuts eaten by the local people (Wehymeyer 1966, Felger and Moser 1976, Biesele et al. 1979, Felger 1980, Fox and Norwood-Young 1982, Taylor 1986); and rare fruits that can be obtained in local markets or from growers of rare fruits. Israel's Negev desert, with its broad spectrum of climatic conditions and types of soil and water, is an appropriate site for such a project. We have set out to exploit the Negev's variation to test the suitability of a number of plant candidates for introduction and domestication in desert areas. This is our first report on the project, and summarizes four years of work starting from 1984. We will describe our activities in general and give some details regarding six of our plant candidates.  aCactaceas1 aARONSON, J. A.1 aMIZRAHI, Y.  tYearbook-west Australian nut and tree crop Associationgv.18, p.42-53, 1994.