Balqa, Feb. 2 (Petra) -- The National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) signed a support-and-funding agreement with the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation to develop the gundelia plant (akkoub) using chemical mutation techniques.
The agreement is part of a package supporting 14 research projects selected from 173 submissions by Jordanian universities and research centers, under a leadership-focused track for applied projects aimed at delivering scientific solutions to local and global challenges.
Akkoub is a spiny, edible perennial in the daisy family native to the Middle East and Mediterranean, holds a special place in local food heritage as a seasonal, nutrient-rich dish. Reliance on wild harvesting as the main source poses a threat to its natural sustainability, despite its importance as a seasonal income stream for many families.
The project aims to develop akkoub as a commercially viable agricultural commodity by applying chemical mutagenesis to select improved lines featuring large flower heads and leaves and flower heads with no or limited thorns. It also targets conserving and multiplying promising plants through tissue-culture techniques as a step toward commercial production.
Expected outputs include developing market-preferred traits, scaling propagation of improved plants, supporting producers, and pursuing patent registration for the enhanced lines, reinforcing NARC’s position in agricultural innovation and applied scientific research.
The project is a strong start toward propagating and improving akkoub and moving it from a threatened wild plant to an agricultural crop with added economic value, said NARC Director General Ibrahim Rawashdeh. He said the project would help strengthen biodiversity and food security, reduce pressure on natural habitats, and make akkoub more accessible by providing it as a cultivated, safe agricultural product.
Rawashdeh said the project’s selection among the 14 Shoman-supported winners reflects national confidence in NARC’s applied research role and underscores its commitment to turning scientific research into practical solutions that serve farmers and communities, aligned with the Economic Modernization Vision and sustainable development plans.
He said the NARC will continue backing innovative projects using modern techniques to improve plant genetic resources as a key pillar for strengthening food security and agricultural sustainability.
//Petra// AO
