The most important field crops in Egypt: fodder plants
There are few natural pastures for the country’s animal population in
Egypt’s desert climate. Therefore fodder has to be produced by the fellaheen
on irrigated fields to feed their more than 18 million head of livestock, as well
as about 31 million domestically raised rabbits (2000; after CAPMAS 2001b:
52ff ). The most widespread fodder plant, bersim (Trifolium alexandrinum), an
Egyptian variety of clover, has accounted for more than 95 per cent of all
fodder cultivation areas recently (e.g. 1980 and 1991; Ministry of Agriculture
1992: 104f ). However, this primary source of animal feed in Egypt can stand
neither heat nor aridity and so is not grown in summer. It was cultivated on
50 per cent of the whole area planted with winter crops in 1989, but this
decreased to 39 per cent in 1999. The common type of bersim is grown for
one season from December to May, during which time it can be cut three
to four times, but about one-third of it is cut only once and then mulched
(bersim tahrish). The soils improved in this way are planted the following sum-
mer either with cotton or maize, which require good soils and profit from
the nitrogen fixation supplied by the roots of bersim and through the creation
of humus by mulching. In summer there is a shortage of green fodder, so
that dry feed must be used, such as maize, barley, dried bersim (daris), and
wheat straw (tibn), as well as the high-quality feed of the residues (kusb) of
the cotton seeds remaining after the production of cottonseed oil. Among
the few fodder plants available in summer are soybeans, lubya (Dolichos lablab;
hyacinth beans), Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanensis), elephant grass (Pennisetum
benthamii) and fodder beet. These mostly introduced fodder crops help to
solve the problem of lack of feed in summer and are not liable to endanger
cotton production by hosting the cotton boll-worm. Other fodder plants such
as the fava bean, the meadow pea (Lathyrus pratensis), fenugreek (Trigonella
foenum-graecum) and barley are not available in summer, since they, too, are
winter crops. An extension of the cultivation of bersim higazi (Spanish trefoil;
Medicago sativa), a clover of superior quality, is not possible since like the com-
mon type of bersim it enhances the spread of the cotton boll-worm. Therefore
its cultivation is limited to peripheral, mainly desert areas, far away from the
cotton-growing areas. Bersim higazi remains on the field for five to six years
and can be cut about nine times annually.
There are few natural pastures for the country’s animal population in
Egypt’s desert climate. Therefore fodder has to be produced by the fellaheen
on irrigated fields to feed their more than 18 million head of livestock, as well
as about 31 million domestically raised rabbits (2000; after CAPMAS 2001b:
52ff ). The most widespread fodder plant, bersim (Trifolium alexandrinum), an
Egyptian variety of clover, has accounted for more than 95 per cent of all
fodder cultivation areas recently (e.g. 1980 and 1991; Ministry of Agriculture
1992: 104f ). However, this primary source of animal feed in Egypt can stand
neither heat nor aridity and so is not grown in summer. It was cultivated on
50 per cent of the whole area planted with winter crops in 1989, but this
decreased to 39 per cent in 1999. The common type of bersim is grown for
one season from December to May, during which time it can be cut three
to four times, but about one-third of it is cut only once and then mulched
(bersim tahrish). The soils improved in this way are planted the following sum-
mer either with cotton or maize, which require good soils and profit from
the nitrogen fixation supplied by the roots of bersim and through the creation
of humus by mulching. In summer there is a shortage of green fodder, so
that dry feed must be used, such as maize, barley, dried bersim (daris), and
wheat straw (tibn), as well as the high-quality feed of the residues (kusb) of
the cotton seeds remaining after the production of cottonseed oil. Among
the few fodder plants available in summer are soybeans, lubya (Dolichos lablab;
hyacinth beans), Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanensis), elephant grass (Pennisetum
benthamii) and fodder beet. These mostly introduced fodder crops help to
solve the problem of lack of feed in summer and are not liable to endanger
cotton production by hosting the cotton boll-worm. Other fodder plants such
as the fava bean, the meadow pea (Lathyrus pratensis), fenugreek (Trigonella
foenum-graecum) and barley are not available in summer, since they, too, are
winter crops. An extension of the cultivation of bersim higazi (Spanish trefoil;
Medicago sativa), a clover of superior quality, is not possible since like the com-
mon type of bersim it enhances the spread of the cotton boll-worm. Therefore
its cultivation is limited to peripheral, mainly desert areas, far away from the
cotton-growing areas. Bersim higazi remains on the field for five to six years
and can be cut about nine times annually.
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