Sideroxylon mascatense: A new crop for high elevation arid climates?

Abstract

This paper reviews the existing research on Sideroxylon mascatense, and provides an argument for being considered a fruit crop in cultivated production systems in the Sultanate of Oman and elsewhere. Climate change due to global warming has adverse effects on the agro-ecosystems of mountain regions in marginal climate zones. For example, in the Western Hajar Mountains of Oman, yields of the temperate fruit crops have decreased in recent years as temperature and other climate anomalies have increased. Other fruit-bearing wild plants have also been impacted by extreme weather fluctuations, particularly those that occupy a narrow altitudinal range. One such plant is S. mascatense, a currently underutilized fruiting plant found growing in the wild all through the Middle East and other arid mountainous regions. Two fruiting types of S. mascatense are found in Oman, both of which are seasonally wild harvested by mountain inhabitants and sold in markets as well as along the roadsides. While some specimens exist in cultivated areas, propagation and new plantings are non-existent. Regeneration in the wild is also in decline in Oman, possibly due to climate change. Increasing S. mascatense populations could be achieved via propagation, as well as commercial cultivation, although further research is needed into cropping systems and best practice methods.

Distribution of Sideroxylon Mascatense (A.DC.) T.D.Penn. and Associated Perennial Plant Communities in Oman

“…The dark purple-black colored fruit is found in Pakistan and a yellow-brown fruit can be found in Somalia [20,21]. In Oman, both morphotypes are known to coexist, although the purple-black morphotype is dominant over the less prevalent yellow-brown morphotype [22][23][24][25] (Fig. 2).…”

“…In the Western Hajar Mountains the fruit is widely collected by local inhabitants and sold at markets for consumption [23]. While not cultivated, some wild specimens are incorporated into developed landscapes to increase harvest yields [24].…”

“…However, there has been extensive research on the nutritional and medicinal qualities of the fruit, leaves, and stems, with most studies focusing on the purple-black morphotype found in Pakistan [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. The lack of habitat and population distribution research, especially in Oman where both morphotypes coexist, is an obstacle both for programs focused on conservation strategies, and the development of S. mascatense as a commercially-cultivated fruit crop [24]. The current study aims to address this knowledge gap by de ning the population distribution throughout Oman and classifying the plant communities associated with S. mascatense in the Western Hajar Mountains in Oman.…”

A New Taxon of <em>Sideroxylon mascatense</em> in Oman

“…arabica Chiov., but we have not been able to locate the publication where that subspecies may have been described. Both the black and the yellowish-brown forms coexist in Oman [4,10,11] and are well known by the local habitants of the Western Hajar mountains. The yellowish-brown form is known as "hegimt" and the black form as "būt" (Arabic), a name also used for the Sideroxylon mascatense plant in general.…”