Family Farming Knowledge Platform

Jiaxian Traditional Chinese Date Gardens

Jujube is a unique fruit species native to China. Located in the Jinshaan Canyon at the middle reach of the Yellow River, the Jia Count is recognized as the place with the longest history of jujube cultivation. It boasts a large over-one-thousand-year-old jujube community. The community presents the whole domestication process of jujube from wild sour jujube, via half-cultivated sour jujube, cultivated sour jujube to cultivated jujube. The Jia County suffers frequent drought, making the jujube trees “life-saving plants” for the locals, who place their hope on the jujube trees. Meanwhile, the jujube trees are significant in preventing sandstorms and conserving water and soil on the loess plateau sparsely vegetated. The proposed GIAHS (the System) is a strong evidence of China being the origin of jujube, its domestication and scale cultivation. It also constitutes an important germplasm bank for the future development of the jujube industry. Besides, the System is of outstanding eco-functions, and culture significance. In conclusion, the System is worthy of protection efforts.

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Publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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Organization: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Other organizations: Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)
Year: 2014
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Country/ies: China
Geographical coverage: Asia and the Pacific
Type: Case study
Content language: English
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