About Us

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the main crop grown in a large scale in the rainfed areas in Northcoastal region and in the newly reclaimed lands with saline soils in Egypt. The total harvested area was 57,000 ha during the eighties, while it became 120,000 ha in nineteenth, but it was 98323.4 ha in 2009/2010. Barley yield in the old and newly reclaimed lands has been gradually increased over the past 2-3 decades from 2.70 t/ha in the eighties to about 3.75 t/ha 2009/2010. Under rainfed conditions, barley productivity increased from 0.44 to 1.94 t/ha during the same period, which is considered very high compared to other rainfed areas in the world that exceeds 200 mm, while in Egypt it is about 130 mm on the average. The main objectives of barley program in Egypt are to develop new cultivars with high yielding capacity, tolerant to different kinds of stresses (e.g. drought, salinity, poor soil fertility, diseases, insects, etc.) along with cultural package and also to improve and maintain high-quality seed besides the technology transfer program through extension agencies.