Crop Diversification and Its Efficiency …
163
Egyptian clover (birsim baladi) in winter, and rice and sorghum in summer, whereas
dates and alfalfa (birsim hijazi) are perennial.
Rice has been the preferred summer crop for many years, although it requires
more water than any other crop in general and particularly in the oasis region with
its high evaporation rate. Although water is not abundant in the oasis, there are good
reasons for the choice of rice as a crop: e.g., it is the most profitable staple crop
and it is well adapted to adverse summer conditions. Second, farmers are aware
that growing rice is the best means to leach down the continuously accumulating
salts in the soil. Third, leaving the land fallow during summer would facilitate salt
accumulation, and, as a result, it is good for sensitive winter crops, such as wheat
and Egyptian clover (Momtaz and Siddiq 1989: 280).
Beadnell (1909) noted that rice has been grown for a long time in oases, and
for good reason. Rice grows on land containing a proportion of salt and provides
a periodical cleansing of the land, which would otherwise become so salty that it
would adversely affect other crops grown on the same ground (Beadnell 1909: 214).
However, in the New Valley governorate, rice production is forbidden by law to reduce
the overdraft of water from aquifers. The possibility of rice production is subject to
the decision of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, in coordination with
the Ministry of Agriculture, which determines the surface area to be cultivated with
rice annually before the rice season.
2
Dates are one of the most important agricultural products in Dakhla Oasis. Date
palms are suitable for dry and rainless areas, but they do not yield fruit unless their
roots are well watered. For this reason, dates are best suited to oasis agriculture.
3
Egyptian clover or birsim baladi (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is the main forage
cultivated in the winter season to feed cattle.
4 It is a common crop in the Nile basin,
but also in the Western Desert. It is used for a double purpose: i.e., livestock fodder
and fertilizer. It is rich in nitrogen, which enhances the crop production from the
soil. As such, many farmers use it as a half-yearly rotation crop. Egyptian clover
grows quickly; thus, it can be cut four or five times in a season. It is used after rice
cultivation to render the saline and poorly drained soil fertile. Compared with other
forages, it uses water efficiently (Muhammad et al. 2014: 66).
2 See “Irrigation deals firmly with violators of rice cultivation rules” in the Egypt Independent, 15 July
2019 (http://www.egyptindependent.com/news); “Egypt cuts cultivation of water-intensive crop”
in the Nieuwsbericht, 13 August 2017 (https://www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl/actueel/nieuws).
3 There are many varieties of date palms, but in Rashda, and in the Western Desert in general, the
most common varieties are Saidi and Tamar. Saidi dates are a popular variety in Egypt for their soft
and sweet taste and are sold in markets mostly through the date factory operated by the Agricultural
Cooperative in the town of Mut. Saidi dates are also used to make date paste, agwa, which is used
for making sweets, such as maamul. Tamar is a variety usually eaten after sun drying, and mostly
for home consumption. Hayani is also a common variety in Egypt, but it is rarely grown in Rashda
village (Kato and Iwasaki 2016: 212).
4 There are five varieties of Egyptian clover in Egypt: misqawi, saidi, fahl, and khadrawi. In Rashda
village, the most common variety is misqawi, which is also common in Lower Egypt, where there
is abundant water in winter. Misqawi grows rapidly and can be cut four to eight times in a season
(Kenneth and Mackie 1925: 13).
163
Egyptian clover (birsim baladi) in winter, and rice and sorghum in summer, whereas
dates and alfalfa (birsim hijazi) are perennial.
Rice has been the preferred summer crop for many years, although it requires
more water than any other crop in general and particularly in the oasis region with
its high evaporation rate. Although water is not abundant in the oasis, there are good
reasons for the choice of rice as a crop: e.g., it is the most profitable staple crop
and it is well adapted to adverse summer conditions. Second, farmers are aware
that growing rice is the best means to leach down the continuously accumulating
salts in the soil. Third, leaving the land fallow during summer would facilitate salt
accumulation, and, as a result, it is good for sensitive winter crops, such as wheat
and Egyptian clover (Momtaz and Siddiq 1989: 280).
Beadnell (1909) noted that rice has been grown for a long time in oases, and
for good reason. Rice grows on land containing a proportion of salt and provides
a periodical cleansing of the land, which would otherwise become so salty that it
would adversely affect other crops grown on the same ground (Beadnell 1909: 214).
However, in the New Valley governorate, rice production is forbidden by law to reduce
the overdraft of water from aquifers. The possibility of rice production is subject to
the decision of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, in coordination with
the Ministry of Agriculture, which determines the surface area to be cultivated with
rice annually before the rice season.
2
Dates are one of the most important agricultural products in Dakhla Oasis. Date
palms are suitable for dry and rainless areas, but they do not yield fruit unless their
roots are well watered. For this reason, dates are best suited to oasis agriculture.
3
Egyptian clover or birsim baladi (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is the main forage
cultivated in the winter season to feed cattle.
4 It is a common crop in the Nile basin,
but also in the Western Desert. It is used for a double purpose: i.e., livestock fodder
and fertilizer. It is rich in nitrogen, which enhances the crop production from the
soil. As such, many farmers use it as a half-yearly rotation crop. Egyptian clover
grows quickly; thus, it can be cut four or five times in a season. It is used after rice
cultivation to render the saline and poorly drained soil fertile. Compared with other
forages, it uses water efficiently (Muhammad et al. 2014: 66).
2 See “Irrigation deals firmly with violators of rice cultivation rules” in the Egypt Independent, 15 July
2019 (http://www.egyptindependent.com/news); “Egypt cuts cultivation of water-intensive crop”
in the Nieuwsbericht, 13 August 2017 (https://www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl/actueel/nieuws).
3 There are many varieties of date palms, but in Rashda, and in the Western Desert in general, the
most common varieties are Saidi and Tamar. Saidi dates are a popular variety in Egypt for their soft
and sweet taste and are sold in markets mostly through the date factory operated by the Agricultural
Cooperative in the town of Mut. Saidi dates are also used to make date paste, agwa, which is used
for making sweets, such as maamul. Tamar is a variety usually eaten after sun drying, and mostly
for home consumption. Hayani is also a common variety in Egypt, but it is rarely grown in Rashda
village (Kato and Iwasaki 2016: 212).
4 There are five varieties of Egyptian clover in Egypt: misqawi, saidi, fahl, and khadrawi. In Rashda
village, the most common variety is misqawi, which is also common in Lower Egypt, where there
is abundant water in winter. Misqawi grows rapidly and can be cut four to eight times in a season
(Kenneth and Mackie 1925: 13).