Background:
There is historical evidence supporting the notion that perennial horticulture played an important role in the economy and culture of Afghanistan for many centuries. As early as the 1958 the Nangarhar/Jalalabad Oasis was identified as the potential hub of the citrus industry in Afghanistan. More than four decades of war, political, social and economic instability added to several years of drought resulted in the destruction of large orchards and with them the livelihoods of thousands of rural households and the decimation of the citrus industry.
The remaining productive capacity comprises predominantly small growers, with citrus orchards of less than 5 jerib each.
Several initiatives were launched and implemented to re-establish the perennial horticultural industries in general and the citrus industry in particular. An unintended unfortunate consequence of the interventions by international donors and Non-Governmental Organisations was that the initiatives became extremely donor and project dependent with little ownership of the grass root level farmer/grower and the subsequent loss of orchards established during the last 12 years.
A critical prerequisite and critical gateway to a sustainable industry is the availability of quality germ plasm coupled with the fruit producing tradition of the country and strong market incentives have the potential to reactivate the industry, turning it into a major economic development engine. The establishment of the National Collection and a successful certified sapling nursery industry received the highest focus during the immediate past 6 years. The focus is however shifting to the operating industry addressing the need of the grower at grass root level.
The Support to the Development of Agriculture Private Sector: Perennial Horticulture ProjectStrategic Object 4 (HPS/SO4) aims to enhance the partnership of the Nangarhar DAIL and PHDC-JAL with NVDA, CPG and citrus producers of Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman Provinces bringing together MAIL / DAIL and the private sector for the renaissance of the citrus industry in eastern Afghanistan.
Afghanistan National Collection:
The Afghan National Collection has the purpose to maintain and evaluate the fruit varieties and rootstocks, consisting of registered Afghan and Imported varieties, and release mother plants for the private nursery industry. It has to be seen as a living body, where not suitable plants are removed and new representative accessions enter, following new findings, market trend and climate adaptation.
Perennial Horticulture Development Project (PHDP) had a germplasm registration survey accross Afghanistan in 2006 – 2008, based on the principle that the main and high market value genotypes, and that outstanding genotypes should be collected, resulted in the field registration and labelling of nearly950in-situ accessions.
Similarly, PHDP has registered and assigned clone numbers to fruit and nut varieties imported to Afghanistan in the last years. The registration of imported clones will eventually facilitate their inclusion in the National Collection and certification system. PHDP have registered a total of250different varieties, imported to Afghanistan.
Here is the list of citrus varieties exists in National Collection of Jalalabad PHDC (Perennial Horticulture Development Center) in the year of 2015.
[showhide type=”pressrelease” more_text=”Show National Collection List for Citrus” less_text=”Hide National Collection List for Citrus” hidden=”yes”]
| Clone Number | Variety | Species |
| 7351 | Sour Orange | Sour orange |
| 7352 | Etrog | Citron |
| 7353 | Duncan | Grape fruit |
| 7354 | Mexican | Lime |
| 7309 | FEMMINELLO SIRACUSANO | Lemon |
| 7013 | AVANA APIRENO | Mandarin |
| 7014 | TARDIVO DI CIACULLI | Mandarin |
| 7020 | CLEMENTINE HERNANDINA | Mandarin |
| 7019 | CLEMENTINE OROVAL | Mandarin |
| 7105 | Clementine SRA 89 | Mandarin |
| 7355 | X-639 | Citrange |
| 7100 | Troyer | Citrange |
| 7101 | Carrizo | Citrange |
| 6022 | Cleopatra | Mandarin |
| 6026 | Beni Ghonj | Rough Lemon |
| 7009 | MORO | Orange |
| 6021 | Trifoliate | Trifoliate |
| 7001 | TAROCCO GALLO | Orange |
| 7099 | Valencia Olinda | Orange |
| 7337 | Macrophylla | Alemow |
| 7098 | Parent Washington Navel | Orange |
| 7106 | Navelina VCR | Orange |
| 7003 | NAVELATE | Orange |
| 7332 | Tarocco Rosso | Orange |
| 7333 | Tarocco Nucellare 57 | Orange |
| 7002 | NAVELINA | Orange |
| 6015 | Valencia | Orange |
| 7005 | WASHINGTON NAVEL | Orange |
| 7006 | THOMPSON NAVEL | Orange |
| 7356 | Madam vinous | Orange |
| 7107 | Lane Late | Orange |
| 7008 | VALENCIA CAMPBELL | Orange |
| 7007 | SANGUINELLO MOSCATO CUSCUNA | Orange |
| 6034 | Panj Keloye | Citron |
| 6099 | Tajiki | Lemon |
| 6083 | Shesham Baghi | Pummelo |
| 7004 | NEWHALL | Orange |
| 6091 | Sor Maghzi | Pummelo |
| 7335 | Meyer | Lemon |
| 6016 | Ghat Torange | Pummelo |
| 7331 | Fina SRA 63 | Mandarin |
| 7334 | Clemenules | Mandarin |
| 6048 | Meta | Sweet Lime |
| 7336 | Ovale | Kumquat |
| 7028 | TANGELO NOVA | Mandarin |
| 7026 | TANGELO MINNEOLA | Mandarin |
| 7022 | SATSUMA MIYAGAWA | Mandarin |
| 7030 | TANGOR ORTANIQUE | Mandarin |
| 7017 | CLEMENTINE RUBINO | Mandarin |
| 7018 | CLEMENTINE SPINOSO | Mandarin |
| 7021 | CLEMENTINE MARISOL | Mandarin |
| 7016 | CLEMENTINE MONREAL APIRENO | Mandarin |
| 6023 | Shesham Baghi | Grapefruit |
| 7015 | CLEMENTINE DI NULES | Mandarin |
| 6025 | Chinai | Lime |
| 7029 | FORTUNE | Mandarin |
| 6049 | Eureka | Lemon |
| 6093 | Kunari | Sour Orange |
| 7011 | ADAMO | Lemon |
| 6027 | Lisbon | Lemon |
| 7012 | MARSH SEEDLEES | Grapefruit |
| 6085 | Spin Ghar | Sour Orange |
| 7023 | DIAMANTE | Citron |
| 7024 | MANO DI BUDDA | Citron |
| 7102 | Volkamer ROP South Africa | Volkamer lemon |
| 7025 | Bergamot Fantastico | Sour Orange |
[/showhide]
Publications:
Broachers:
- Growing Citrus in Containers | Pashto
- Establishment of Commercial Orchards | Pashto
- Introduction of Citrus Better Varieties | Pashto
- Citrus – Crop Calendar | Pashto
Standards & Protocols:
- Oranges Export Standards | English
- Lemon Standard Protocol | English
- Orange & Mandarin Standard Protocol | English
Manuals & Documents:
- Citrus Quality Control Laboratory Manual | English
- Citrus Market Trend | English
- Citrus Maturity Indices | English
- Taste Testof Highly Recommended Citrus Varities | English
- Femmenillo Siracusano Market Assessment | English
- Femminello(7010 Lemon) Market Assessment | English
- Citrus Common Diseases | English
Training Materials:
- Click here for watching visual training materials and video tutorials.
- For more information you can follow our dedicated citrus Facebook page here!
Contact the Expert:
If you need any query/information regarding citrus, you can contact our experts as bellow:
Name: Mohammad Aziz Saeedi
Mobile: +93 (0) 777604645+————————
Email:saeedi_aziz@afghanistanhorticulture.org
Or you can visit the the Prennial Horticulture Development Center (PHDC)- Jalalabad which is located at:Farme Jadid Research Farm, Jalalabad Torkham Road, Nangarhar.
