Publication Date
1997
Description
In Egypt, no major effort is made to provide local and export markets with seeds of correctly identified and pure cultivars of forage crops in spite of the existence of all the essential factors for a successful seed industry. A wide genetic base of indigenous forage crops such as berseem clover and alfalfa, proper irrigation, a harvest and seed maturation period free from rain, sunshine and clear sky all year and highly fertile soils in isolated areas are available. Moreover, uncertified, uncontrolled and unidentified local seeds of berseem clover and alfalfa are highly demanded by foreign markets due to their unique productivity and high tolerance to adverse conditions. However, forage crop seed production technology is not well understood by most forage growers. Alfalfa and berseem clover seeds are produced from small patches from areas grown mainly for forage production purposes. This may be due to the lack of infrastructure such as cleaning facilities, specific insecticides, and many other components that are not available at competitive prices to growers. The challenge of producing a high yield of forage crop seed at a reasonable cost, includes the mastering of all known principles and putting them in practice under environmental and field conditions and has not been achieved yet.
Citation
El-Nahrawy, M A.; Rammah, A; and Niemelainen, O, "Forage Seed Production in Egypt for Domestic Marker and for Export" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 1.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1997/session28/1
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Forage Seed Production in Egypt for Domestic Marker and for Export
In Egypt, no major effort is made to provide local and export markets with seeds of correctly identified and pure cultivars of forage crops in spite of the existence of all the essential factors for a successful seed industry. A wide genetic base of indigenous forage crops such as berseem clover and alfalfa, proper irrigation, a harvest and seed maturation period free from rain, sunshine and clear sky all year and highly fertile soils in isolated areas are available. Moreover, uncertified, uncontrolled and unidentified local seeds of berseem clover and alfalfa are highly demanded by foreign markets due to their unique productivity and high tolerance to adverse conditions. However, forage crop seed production technology is not well understood by most forage growers. Alfalfa and berseem clover seeds are produced from small patches from areas grown mainly for forage production purposes. This may be due to the lack of infrastructure such as cleaning facilities, specific insecticides, and many other components that are not available at competitive prices to growers. The challenge of producing a high yield of forage crop seed at a reasonable cost, includes the mastering of all known principles and putting them in practice under environmental and field conditions and has not been achieved yet.
