A well-developed system of harvesting the scanty rainfall of the Negev desert in run-off channels enabled farmers 1500 years ago to grow crops of grain and fruit, and produce oil and wine. Restoration of some of these early systems has shown that the principles hold good today and may be applicable in arid and semi-arid areas of other countries, particularly if they are used in combination with modern techniques such as drip irrigation and the use of brackish water.
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