Combat Degradation in Rain Fed Areas by Introducing New Drought Tolerant Crops in Egypt

The Northern Coastal Region of Egypt is unique in its strategic, historical and environmental background. This region includes rain fed areas located in northern part of Sinai Peninsula. In Sinai Peninsula, the average rainfall decreases from North-East to the South-West. Degradation and Desertification threaten these areas and it is necessary to adopt innovative approaches to the use and management of such fragile resources. The major constraints which threaten sustainability in this area are disappearance of crop rotation due to cereal continuous (barley) and overgrazing in range lands, inadequacy of rain-fall in quantity and distribution, poor soil fertility, low crop productivity and wind erosion. Agriculture in these areas is highly correlated with rainfall therefore; plantations and horticultural crops cover only 10 km from the sea towards the South where rainfall ranged from 150 to 250mm/yr along the Mediterranean Sea starting from Rafah in the east to the Libyan borders in the West. The next 10 km towards the desert are very poor rangelands. Agricultural Development and Crop Intensification Research Project did effort to combat desertification through innovating cropping patterns in these areas by the introduction of some new crops tolerant in nature to drought, very pertinent to the Bedouin diet and their livestock. The project program included the introduction of Cassava and Quinoa crops In Sinai. To obtain optimum recommendation package to introduce cassava and quinoa in desert lands of Egypt. Cassava trials includes varietal responses to our environment which indicated superiority of Brazilian CV 1 over Indonesian CV K2. Cassava tuber and forage yield were the highest when stakes were planted at mid of April rather than the early planting (first of April) or late planting (first of May). Nutritional field trial revealed gradual increases in cassava tuber yield up to the heaviest 46.5Kg P O and 72Kg of K O, 25 2 respectively. The data indicate that there were decreases in HCN concentration in tuber tissue with increasing phosphorus or potassium up to the heaviest. Intercropping cassava with Nigerian cowpea achieved yield advantage by 71% more than growing cassava as solid. Quinoa also proved success in desert lands. Thirteen varieties were tested under two types of land preparation (till and no-till systems). Two short day varieties under no-till system were superior. In North-West Coastal plains (Matrooh Exp. Stn.), quinoa with one supplementary irrigation yielded better than under rainfall only (rainfall rate ranged from 100-150 mm/yr). seeding on flat gave more yield than on ridges. The yield of quinoa significantly increased with diminishing plant spacing from 20 to 15cm. there were also gradual reduction in seed yield/fed with delaying time of seeding starting from mid of November till mid of February. Reduction between the first and latter date was estimated to 60%.