The integration of different production in protected cultivation under Egyptian conditions.
Abou-Hadid A., Medany M. A.
Author Affiliation: Agricultural Research Center, 9 Gamaa St., 12411 Giza, Egypt.
: 719-726
Abstract : The status of protected cultivation was studied in Bossaily, Egypt. Data were obtained from 1994 to 2007. Cucumber and pepper (Capsicum sp.) occupied 90% of the covered area. The results indicated that production cost in Egypt during 2007 increased by a factor of as much as 4.0 compared with the production cost during 1994 (cucumber seed, by 4.17-fold; pepper seed, by 5.45-fold; plastic, by 5.33-fold; methyl bromide, by 4.4-fold; ammonium nitrate, by 2.35-fold; superphosphate, by 2.67-fold; and potassium sulfate, by 3.14-fold). The incidence of skilled labour had decreased. Low-quality plastic with a very low lifespan was another challenge. The price/unit product from protected agriculture was almost stable from 1994 to 2007. The diversification of agricultural activities reduced the risk and markedly increased the farm income. Practices under the new management systems included: (1) preparation of an execution plan and timetable for weekly precise operations; (2) extensive use of insect-proof nets in the greenhouse to reduce the cost of plastic cover and pesticide by almost 50%; (3) fertigation scheduling reduced fertilizer and water use; (4) protected mango, grape and citrus cultivation; (5) management of extensive nursery facilities improved the efficiency of vegetable and fruit crop seedling production; (6) and intensive aquaculture, sheep and rabbit production, as well as the utilization of methyl bromide alternatives in greenhouse vegetable production.