ISHS Acta Horticulturae 158: X African Symposium on Horticultural Crops
PROGRESS REPORT ON PROMISING FRUIT CULTIVARS IN EGYPT |
| Author: | A.M. Rokba |
| Abstract:
After eleven years of efforts made in improving fruit varieties in Egypt, several promising cultivars have been produced through breeding, re-evaluation of fruit varieties introduced from outside Egypt and through selection programmes. "Bassateen Edfina" (Guava); "Golden Ziad" and "Maamoura Golden Yellow" (Loquat) ; and "Finny" (Annona) are new local varieties selected from seedling progeny for propagation on commercial basis. They are characterized by high yield and good fruit quality. In citrus, we obtained several nucellar seedlings of "Washington Navel orange", "Succari Navel orange" and "Balady mandarin". About 297 hybrids were produced from "Clementine tangerine" seed parent. They may be useful for improving citrus production in Egypt, either as new commercial cultivars or rootstocks. Three introduced sweet oragne varieties ("Vicieda", "Commune" and "Parson Brown") and "Nimos tangerine" (Tangors) appear to be the most promising cultivars to be grown commercially in the country. They have also greater potential for export. "Costata" and "Ormond" (Persimmon) have a strong tendency to produce satisfactory cropping parthenocarpically or without pollination and their fruits had a good quality. "Anna" (Apple), "Army King" (Nectarine) and "Cardinal" (Peach) produced good crops under climatic conditions of the country. They are adapted to warm winter of Egypt. In the trials made for growing some introduced pineapple varieties, two cultivars ("Red Spanish" and "Mauritius") are found to be superior. However, pineapple culture in Egypt is not suited to commercial production. As a result of evaluation made of the friut tree collection farm in King Mariut, near Alexandria, four olive cvs. ("Rosciolo", "Coratina", "Tagiasco" and "Pendolino") ; three pear cvs. ("Le Cont", "Bartlett", "Alexandrine" and "Claude Blanchet") ; and three fig cvs., ("Brogiotto Nero", "Brogiotto Bianco" and "Kadota") seem to be the most promising cultivars. They performed well in calcareous soil and dry farming conditions of the North Western Coast of Egypt. | |
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