干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Triticale is promoted in Algeria with the aim of reducing maize and barley imports. The crop is mainly grown for forage production (hay, green, silage and mixed with legumes), as a grain feed or for dual purpose (forage and grain).

Many new adapted spring cultivars were developed during this last decade (all cultivars are complete types). In terms of production, triticale outyielded durum wheat and barley by 11% in favourable and semi-arid environments. However, bread wheat still outyields triticale (10% increase) in the semi-humid zones.

Forage production (fresh biomass and dry matter) of triticale gave encouraging results in comparison to barley and oats, when used in mixture with vetch or peas for hay production, the amount of legume in the mixture was always higher with triticale than with oats or barley.

Triticale produces more straw, commonly fed to sheep, than other crop during dry years (frequent in Algerie) where the free market price increases drastically. Straw yield of triticale compensated largely for its low price when compared to barley straw or wheat and gave in general better economic return to farmers (1230 USD/ha for triticale vs 1120, 1080, 735 and 685 USD for bread wheat, durum wheat, barley and hay of oats respectively).